When all was said and done, the Foxes swimming teams brought home four gold medals from the WPIAL Class 3A championships; the girls team was the runner up, finishing behind perennial powerhouse North Allegheny; and the boys finished fourth with what is believed to be the best finish in team history.
Overall, this season, the swimmers have set nine new school records. Seventeen out of the 24 swimmers who competed at WPIALs qualified for the PIAA championships, including five freshmen. Among those ninth-graders is diver Jackson Hagler, who, in a surprise twist of fate caused by a diver’s withdrawal due to an injury, will now move on to the state championships. Also, all three relays for both the girls and boys teams qualified for states, a first in school history.
The girls started off the two-day WPIAL event with a first-place finish in the 200-medley relay (seniors Ariana Pasquella and Rei Sperry, and juniors Talia Bugel and Sophie Shao), and then finished the two-day championships with another gold medal in the 400-free relay that set a new team record of 3:29.23 (Sophie, Ariana, junior Payton O’Toole, and Rei). Additionally, the girls 200-freestyle relay of Talia and Payton, sophomore Gloria Wen, and freshman Sarah Pasquella took third place. The 200-medley relay has been ranked as the top seed in the state.
The boys also finished the meet with a team record in the 400-free relay (3:11.26) and took fifth place with seniors Nate Ross and Holden Smith, junior Emmanuel Drappatz, and freshman Christian Dantey contributing to the effort. Earlier, the 200-medley relay had placed fifth and also set a new school record (juniors Aadil Pattada and Emmanuel Drappatz, sophomore Peter Manelis, and freshman Owen Howell.)
Three-peat WPIAL champion Sophie Shao continued to swim brilliantly, especially in her signature event, the 100 fly. She swam a personal best of 53.85 and broke the longstanding WPIAL record set during the 1983-1984 season. She also won gold in the 200 IM, an event she did not enter last season. Sophie is the best in the WPIAL, but when she gets to the PIAA championships, she will face some very stiff competition – something she is looking forward to.
Rei and Talia also finished strong individually, with Rei placing second in the 100 free and setting a new team record with a time of 51.59. She also finished second in the 50 free. Talia’s silver medal in the 100 backstroke was hard-fought in an event that becomes increasingly more competitive every year. Both Rei and Talia have advanced to states.
“I have been working endlessly to improve my backstroke and have stayed after practice with my teammates so we can all work on our starts,” Talia says. “I have also been paying close attention to my underwaters, specifically working on my down kick. Every little detail is excruciatingly important and can mean winning by 0.01 or dropping time.”
“I am so excited with my times!” exclaims Rei, a co-captain. “I am so proud of my girls and boys and our times and places. Looking up at that time and my split in the 200 medley was electric. I am beyond happy and I went so much faster than I expected. During the medley I felt like I was flying. It was unreal!”
“The girls have had an incredible season,” says coach Dan Taylor. “I am so proud of what they accomplished this year. Their goal was to contend for a WPIAL title, and they attained that goal.”
Owen made his first trip to WPIALs a memorable one with his third-place finish of 57.89 that, in the 100 breast, set another team record.
“I was very prepared for the 100 breast because I have been training for it all season,” he says of his performance. “I felt great while I was swimming the race but was still pleasantly surprised to see my time. I’m just very happy that I get the opportunity to go to states as a freshman.
“The experience with this swim team has been amazing. It was great to have the boys team placing the highest ever at WPIALs, and to have such a large group going. Winning the section was fantastic as well. High school swimming is a whole new experience that I’ve never felt before, but I’m very glad to have been a part of it and having such a strong team helped a lot to make it fun.”
Other Foxes who graced the WPIAL podium, with their place finishes, are:
Ariana Pasquella – 100 breaststroke (4)
Sarah Pasquella – 100 breaststroke (5) and 50 free (8)
Christian Dantey – 100 breaststroke (5) and 200 free (5)
Payton O’Toole – 200 free (6) and 500 free (7)
Aadil Pattada – 100 backstroke (7)
Freshman Margaret Rusche – 100 butterfly (8)
Coach Taylor couldn’t have been prouder of how things turned out for the boys and girls at the WPIAL championships, simply saying, “It was an incredible two days.”
On to States
The PIAA swimming and diving championships will be held at Bucknell University on March 16 and 17. The Foxes will take a contingent of 17 swimmers to the state competition. (State seeding is noted.)
G 200-medley relay – Talia Bugel, Ariana Pasquella, Sophie Shao, and Rei Sperry (1)
B 200-medley relay – Aadil Pattada, Owen Howell, Peter Manelis, and Emmanuel Drappatz (8)
G 200 free – Payton O’Toole (17)
B 200 free – Christian Dantey (13)
G 200 IM – Sophie Shao (2)
G 50 free – Rei Sperry (7)
G 100 butterfly – Sophie Shao (2) and Margaret Rusche (20)
G 200-free relay – Talia Bugel, Payton O’Toole, Gloria Wen, and Sarah Pasquella (10)
B 200-free relay – Emmanuel Drappatz, senior Dave Dering, Holden Smith, and Nate Ross (20)
G 100 free – Rei Sperry (5)
G 500 free – Payton O’Toole (19)
G 100 back – Talia Bugel (3) and Margaret Rusche (20)
B 100 back – Aadil Pattada (13)
G 100 breast – Ariana Pasquella (7) and Sarah Pasquella (8)
B 100 breast – Owen Howell (9) and Christian Dantey (13)
G 400-free relay – Sophie Shao, Ariana Pasquella, Payton O’Toole, and Rei Sperry (2)
B 400-free relay – Emmanuel Drappatz, Christian Dantey, Holden Smith, and Nate Ross (9)
B Diving – Jackson Hagler