A-K Valley swimmers ready for hard work to pay off at WPIALs

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 | 5:59 PM

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Sarah Pasquella won’t have to wait long for the chance to defend her WPIAL Class 3A title in the 200-yard freestyle.

It is the second event Thursday morning at Pitt’s Trees Pool, and the Fox Chapel senior and Michigan commit, a four-year qualifier to the WPIAL championships, is ready for the challenge.

“I am really excited to get out and race,” Pasquella said. “We have all, on both teams, put in so much time to prepare for WPIALs, and we’ve put in so much faith in our coaches. We’re ready for our hard work to pay off.”

Last year, Pasquella became the first Fox Chapel girls swimmer to win a WPIAL title in the 200 free since Carol Lin in 2006.

She edged North Allegheny’s Claire Bacu at the wall, and she and Bacu are seeded 1-2 this year.

Pasquella recorded her season best of 1 minute, 49.93 seconds — just two one-hundredths of a second off her school record set at states last year — in a meet with North Allegheny on Dec. 9.

Bacu reached her top time (1:51.03) in the same race.

Foxes sophomore Charlotte Rusche is the third seed in the 200 free, and her top time (1:52.68) also came in that Dec. 9 race.

“I am really happy to have Charlotte right there with me,” Pasquella said. “We work really well with each other in practice. We push each other. It’s going to be a good race.”

A win by Pasquella would make her the third straight back-to-back winner of the race in girls Class 3A. North Allegheny grad Lexi Sundgren won it in 2022 and 2023, and Upper St. Clair grad Taylor Conners captured the title in 2020 and 2021.

The girls 200 free is part of a packed two days of WPIAL swimming. The Class 3A meet kicks everything off at 9:45 a.m. both days, with the Class 2A meet beginning at 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday.

The top eight finishers in each event earn medals. Only the WPIAL champion earns an automatic berth to the PIAA championships in two weeks Bucknell University. The rest of the state qualifiers will be determined based on times recorded at each district or regional meet.

Pasquella also is the top seed for Friday’s 100 breaststroke. Her top time of 1:02.56 came against Upper St. Clair on Dec. 20.

She finished runner-up (1:03.65) last year to North Allegheny grad Natalie Sens.

Pasquella hopes to become the first Fox Chapel WPIAL champ in the girls 100 breast since Zoe Skirboll set a WPIAL record of 1:00.96 in 2019.

“The 100 breast is one of my favorite events, and I am always looking to race my own time and race the clock,” she said. “There are so many competitive swimmers in each of these events. The best way to go about it is to race yourself. That’s how I am approaching it.”

All three Fox Chapel girls relays are seeded second or better. The 400 relay of Pasquella, Rusche, sophomore Josie Stanczak and senior Grace Kovach is the top seed with a season-best time of 3:33.65.

The same four are seeded second for the 200 free relay (1:37.06).

“We’re looking really good in both relays,” Rusche said. “We did really well in both last year, so we’re hoping to do that again.”

Kovach, in addition to her opportunities with both free relays, is in the mix for a title in the 100 free. She is the second seed with a time of 52.87.

Alle-Kiski Valley individuals and relays are seeded eighth or better 25 times over the two days of Class 3A swimming.

Foxes senior Owen Howell hopes to defend his WPIAL title in the 200 individual medley. He became the first boys swimmer in Fox Chapel history to win a title in the 200 IM.

He is seeded second (1:53.36) to Central Catholic junior Cinco Perez, last year’s fourth-place finisher.

“I feel great,” he said.

“It’s going to be a really tight race this year with some great competition. But I am confident and excited. I know what it feels like to be on the top of that podium. I want that feeling again.”

Howell also hopes to make his mark in the 100 breast, and he is the top seed with a season-best time of 56.83. Last year, he took sixth (58.45).

He doesn’t have to look far to see one of his top opponents as fellow senior Christian Dantey is seeded second (57.00). Dantey placed third last year (57.43).

“Me and Christian racing right next to each other is going to be awesome,” Howell said. “All I can hope for is us getting first and second. That would just be so cool.”

Dantey again is in position to challenge for WPIAL gold in the boys 200 free. He is seeded second (1:41.12) behind top seed McClellan Clark, a senior from Central Catholic.

He came very close to the title last year, finishing runner-up to current Central Catholic senior Luke Hartman by just six one-hundredths of a second.

“That is a really competitive heat,” Dantey said. “It’s pretty much the same people as last year. I came up a little short last year to Luke. We know we’re going to really push each other hard. I am really excited to see how that race turns out for all of us.”

All three Fox Chapel boys relays are seeded in the top eight led by the No. 3-seeded 400 free relay of Howell, Dantey, junior Arman Alborzi and freshman Nate Agens.

Also earning top-eight seeds on the boys side are Kiski Area senior Justin Tucker, fifth in the 200 IM (1:55.42) and 500 free (4:39.56); and Cavaliers senior Riley Yute, seventh in the 50 free (21.97) and 100 fly (52.56).

Rusche is counting on a top swim Friday in the 500 free as she is seeded fourth with a time of 5:08.87.

Others checking in with eighth seeds or better include Kiski Area sophomore Leah Kunkle, who is sixth in the 200 IM (2:12.23) and eighth in the 100 breast (1:07.74).

Fox Chapel senior Margaret Rusche is fourth in the 100 fly (57.60) and seventh in the 100 back (1:00.62).

Fox Chapel freshman Maren Shelkey-Bray will make her WPIAL debut and join Pasquella and Charlotte Rusche in the final heat of the 200 free. She is seeded eighth (1:57.75).

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.

Tags: Fox Chapel