Swimming
Scholastic Notebook – 03/04/2016
March 4, 2016
There is always a lot of talk at this time of year about hangovers. Not from too much imbibing. But from winning a WPIAL basketball championship. There is a belief that teams that win WPIAL championships have so much trouble getting back up and ready for state playoff games. Is the WPIAL hangover real? Is it hogwash? Well, the evidence shows there isn’t much to this hangover theory for WPIAL boys champions, except for Class AAAA. A check of the past 10 seasons shows the only class where the WPIAL champion has trouble in the PIAA playoffs is Class AAAA. And that could be because the WPIAL champ has to play tough competition. A look back at the past 10 years showed:
2016 WPIAL Boys & Girls Swimming Results From Day One
March 3, 2016
Day 1 in the AAA Girls and Boys Swimming Championships were much of the same old, same old. Once again, the North Allegheny Tigers boys and girls have jumped out to healthy leads after the first day of activity at Joseph Trees Pool at the University of Pittsburgh. Although, in surprising fashion, neither Tigers swim teams were able to capture gold in the opening team event, the 200 Yard Medley Relay. Those gold medals went to the Upper St. Clair girls (Maeve Lersch, Maddie Yoos, Ynrya Bohan and Lindsey Choate) and Upper St. Clair boys (Jack Fitzpatrick, Kevin Liu, Braedon Wong & Brandon Novak) and in the most stunning revelation, the North Allegheny boys didn’t even medal in the event, finishing fourth.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 02/29/2016
February 29, 2016
There is MORE district gold to be won on the mat and in the pool, plus the start of the state playoffs on the hardwood and the Penguins Cup playoffs on the ice this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have the tip off of the boys and girls 2016 PIAA State Basketball Playoffs along with the start of the 2016 PIHL Penguins Cup hockey postseason. We also have the 2016 WPIAL Individual Wrestling Class AAA Championships and the PIAA Class AA Southwest Regionals and the 2016 WPIAL boys and girls Swimming Championships, plus Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle and The PIHL Power Play Show and The WPIAL Roundball Report back to its normal Wednesday night ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, February 29th:
Penn-Trafford’s Joey Ference Repeats as WPIAL AAA Diving Champ
February 28, 2016
Second verse, same as the first for Penn-Trafford’s Joey Ference, who came into Saturday’s Boys Class AAA Diving Championships as the favorite, and the senior left with his second straight gold medal posting the only score above 500, as he finished his 11-dive set with 546.90 points. Ference admitted afterwards that he was a little bit disappointed that he didn’t come close to his score of 589.40 from last year, or the WPIAL record of 610.00, but in the end, Ference realized a gold medal is a gold medal and a second consecutive first place finish in the Championship.
Bethel Park’s Maria Capozzi Wins AAA Gold on Final Dive
In a meet seemingly dominated by underclassmen, it was a senior who ended up top of the class. Bethel Park's Maria Capozzi finally broke through to the taste the gold at the Girls Class AAA Diving Championships at North Allegheny High School. Capozzi slipped past Hampton's Adrienne White in the finals, defeating her by just under ten points.
Trevor Mahoney of SF Comes Back to Win AA Boys Diving Gold
February 26, 2016
A monster penultimate dive from South Fayette junior Trevor Mahoney turned a nearly twenty point deficit of leader John Ek from Lauel Highlands into an eleven point lead for Mahoney going into the final round of dives. Mahoney wins the event after finishing in second last season. Mahoney held on to win after trailing Ek after both the preliminary and semifinal rounds. With six of the top eight finishers from last year's championships gone, the top three returnees Mahoney, Ek, and Knoch's Ben Lowery claimed the top three spots. Mahoney finished with a score 415.85, Ek claimed second with 392.00, and Lowery checked in for third with 386.40.
Mars Taylor Hockenberry Repeats as Girls AA WPIAL Diving Champ
In the WPIAL Girls AA diving championships held at Moon Area High School Taylor Hockenberry, a Junior from Mars High School won her second consecutive title, and third top two finish. She is the reigning PIAA AA girls champion and favorite for the 2016 title. She led by 52.52 after the preliminary five dives, and by 80.45 after the semi finals thru eight dives. The Mars student won easily going away and had the title sewn up before her final dive. Her winning score of 470.85 was 92.3 points ahead of second place finisher Reilly Diggins of Quaker Valley. In a post game interview Hockenberry admitted "today wasn't my best day". Even though she won she realized last years WPIAL score of 506.05 in which she set a new WPIAL diving record was better.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 02/22/2016
February 22, 2016
There is plenty of district gold to be won on the hardwood, on the mat and in the pool this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have ALL the Semifinals, Championships and Consolation boys and girls games in the 2016 WPIAL Basketball Playoffs along with the District 6 boys and girls high school hoop playoffs. We also have the 2016 WPIAL Individual Wrestling Class AA Championships and the Class AAA-4 Sectionals, the end of the regular season in PIHL high school hockey and the 2016 WPIAL boys and girls Diving Championships, plus Inside the WPIAL Wrestling Circle and The PIHL Power Play Show and The WPIAL Roundball Report on a special night ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, February 22nd:WPIAL Girls Sports Realignment
February 16, 2016
We all knew it was coming. A major change to the WPIAL high school sports landscape based on the PIAA's decision to increase from four to six classifications in basketball and softball, plus the increase in other sports such as soccer, volleyball and lacrosse. The WPIAL Board of Control approved the various steering committee's re-alignment suggestions starting with the 2016-2017 school year. This alignment also will be for the 2017-2018 school year. For interactive listing, CLICK HERE. GIRLS BASKETBALL Class 6AWPIAL Boys Sports Realignment
We all knew it was coming. A major change to the WPIAL high school sports landscape based on the PIAA's decision to increase from four to six classifications in football, basketball and baseball, plus the increase in other sports such as soccer and lacrosse. The WPIAL Board of Control approved the various steering committee's re-alignment suggestions starting with the 2016-2017 school year. This alignment also will be for the 2017-2018 school year. *For an interactive listing, CLICK HERE FOOTBALL Class 6AMSA Sports Top 25 WPIAL Stories From 2015 Countdown: #10 – #1
January 1, 2016
It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holiday season here at MSA Sports. Here is a look back at another great high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2015. We conclude our countdown with #10 through #1. #10 - GOLDEN TRIBEMSA Sports Top 25 WPIAL Stories From 2015 Countdown: #25 – #11
December 31, 2015
It has become a tradition like no other...at least during the holiday season here at MSA Sports. Here is a look back at another great high school sports year with the top stories from around the WPIAL in 2015. We begin our countdown with #25 through #11. #25 - ODD STREAK CONTINUES
2015 Positive Athlete Awards
May 19, 2015
2015 Positive Athlete Awards On Wednesday, May 13th, 27 Western PA High School students were recognized at the John Heinz History Center by Hines Ward as “Positive Athletes” . These athletes were nominated by coaches, teachers, administrators, parents, and friends for their ability to meet the following criteria in their day-to day lives as athletes, students and members of their communities.
WPIAL Hall of Fame Class of 2015
April 9, 2015
Four athletes who would later go on to professional careers, several multi-sport athletes, four coaches who won nearly 40 WPIAL championships between them, an old-school baseball player whose son continued his Major League Baseball legacy and a team that won nine WPIAL and PIAA playoff games en route to a state basketball title by an average margin of victory of 25.8. Those are some of the headliners of the WPIAL Hall of Fame class of 2015. The WPIAL held a news conference Thursday morning to announce its ninth annual class. You can watch the video stream archived here on MSA Sports. All inductees will be honored at a banquet June 12 at the Doubletree Hotel in Greentree.
WPIAL Swimming Championships – Class AAA Day Two Results
February 21, 2015
North Allegheny boys and girls swim team came into the day with a commanding lead. That meant that today was all but a formality and PIAA qualifying day. Problem for the field was nobody told the Tigers that. North Allegheny picked up where they left off on the cold snowy day with their senior Morgan Soulia winning the Girls 100 Freestyle with a time of 50.75. {Left: Members of North Allegheny swim team celebrate in the pool after winning another WPIAL crown} We had Saturday's first WPIAL Record set when in 100 Yard Freestyle North Hills' Senior broke John Nappi of Mt Lebanon's 2011 record by a whole tenth of a second. Lovasik's finishing time was 45.02.
WPIAL Swimming Championships – Class AA Day Two Results
A snow storm hit Western Pennsylvania on Saturday morning but that didn't stop the participants in the Boys and Girls WPIAL AA Swimming Championships at the University of Pittsburgh. In front of a packed house at Joseph C. Trees Pool the second day of the championships were held. {Left: Members of Shady Side Academy girls swim team celebrate in pool after claiming their first WPIAL title}WPIAL Swimming Championships – Class AAA Day One Results
February 20, 2015
The North Allegheny Tigers picked up where they left off in their dominance over the last several years as the Lady Tigers commanded a huge lead after day one of the WPIAL AAA Swimming Championships. The North Allegheny boys don’t have nearly the dominant lead but still have the advantage going into day two. The Upper St. Clair boys team, however, seem to possibly have the more elite level swimmers on the boys side as they swept the two team events and, in doing so, set two WPIAL records in the process. On the afternoon, there were several WPIAL records that fell.
WPIAL Swimming Championships – Class AA Day One Results
Friday was a great day for both the Shady Side Academy girls and the Quaker Valley boys as the Class AA WPIAL Swimming Championships got underway at Trees Pool at the University of Pittsburgh. Frigid temperatures forced a two-hour delay but, once the swimmers hit the water, the competition was intense.
Mars Taylor Hockenberry Sets Record in Girls AA Diving Finals
February 19, 2015
Taylor Hockenberry of Mars set a new scoring record in capturing the WPIAL Class AA girls’ diving championship on Wednesday at Moon Area High School. Hockenberry, who finished second as a freshman last year, compiled a score of 506.05, eclipsing the previous mark of 505.45, set by Brittany Garza in 1998.
Uniontown’s Braden Carei Wins WPIAL Boys AA Diving Crown
February 18, 2015
In the Boys WPIAL Diving championships at Moon High School Uniontown's Braden Carei a senior wins his first WPIAL title in his third attempt. He finished 9th in 2012, and 7th in 2014 before winning this year. {Left: Braden Carei stands tall amongst top finishers at WPIAL Boys Class AA Diving Finals} After the first round of five dives Carei led the completion by 16 points. After the semi final three dives his lead increased by 8 points to 24. Going into the final three dives he had to make sure not to falter as the rest of the field kept diving well. In fact the first three finishers would have won last years competition based on their scores from Wednesday. On his final dive he scored a 57.40to win by 34 points.
