WPIAL swimmers secure top seeds for PIAA Class 2A championship heats

By: Michael Love
Friday, March 18, 2022 | 12:51 PM

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LEWISBURG — After taking the baton from Class 3A, the WPIAL swimmers from Class 2A were off and running Friday morning at the PIAA championships at Bucknell.

In the first session, WPIAL boys competitors secured five top seeds for Friday evening’s championship finals.

Indiana freshman Preston Kessler secured the top seed in the 200-yard freestyle, while Hampton senior Will Retsch (200 IM), Riverside sophomore Jo Roth (50 free) and Southmoreland junior Henry Miller (100 butterfly) did the same.

Kessler, Retsch, and Roth captured WPIAL titles in their events March 3 at Pitt’s Trees Pool. Miller was runner-up in the 100 fly at WPIALs.

WPIAL 200 free relay champion Riverside, also the defending PIAA champ, wrapped up the top seed for its finals heat.

Hampton is the No. 2 seed for the boys 200 medley relay, and it leads a WPIAL contingent which secured five of the eight spots in the finals heat. Mt Pleasant is the No. 3 seed, followed by Northgate (fourth), North Catholic (fifth) and Laurel Highlands (eighth).

Also swimming in the championship finals on the boys side are Riverside senior Alex Roth (fourth seed, 200 free), Northgate junior Matt Purcell (fifth, 200 IM), Hampton junior Ben Sheets (sixth, 200 IM), and Indiana sophomore Alex Bauer (eighth, 200 IM).

On the girls side, the WPIAL champion Mt Pleasant 200 medley relay is the No. 1 seed in their finals heat, while Freeport comes back as the sixth seed.

The Vikings are one of four from the WPIAL to pick up top seeds for the finals.

Mapletown junior Ella Menear will shoot for state gold as the top seed in the 200 IM, while Northgate sophomore Elise Nardozzi tops the list in the 200 free.

Mt. Pleasant freshman Lily King is seeded first for the 50 free, and South Park sophomore Katie Jackovic is right behind King in second.

Jackovic also will swim in the finals as the sixth seed in the 100 fly, while Quaker Valley sophomore Emily Connors is the seventh seed, and Freeport freshman Kira Schrecongost is eighth.

Also set to return for championship-heat swims are Shady Side Academy junior Maeve Kelley (third, 200 free), Laurel Highlands junior Ella Ciez (sixth, 200 IM), Schrecongost (seventh, 200 IM), the Quaker Valley 200 free relay (sixth) and the Mt. Pleasant 200 free relay (seventh).

Each of the entries in the championship heats this evening earn medals.

The boys consolation and championship finals begin at 4:20 p.m., with the girls events to follow at 6:50. The races will be carried live on the Pennsylvania Cable Network.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.