Mt. Pleasant swimmers look to add accolades at WPIALs

By: Ted Sarneso
Tuesday, February 25, 2025 | 9:46 PM

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It is once again the end of February, and as the calendar prepares to put the shortest month in the rearview mirror, the WPIAL swim championships descend upon Pitt’s Trees Pool on Thursday and Friday.

The Class 2A seedings are topped once again by swimmers from Mt. Pleasant who are either first or second in 13 of the 18 events and have swimmers seeded third in three more.

The group of Vikings is highlighted by seniors Lily King, Kiersten O’Connor, David Mutter and Joseph Gardner, who have decorated themselves with plenty of medals and accomplished so much in their careers.

“They’re incredible,” Vikings coach Sandy Felice said. “They work very hard and never miss a practice. They just have a good, strong work ethic, and it shows in their performances and where they’re seeded.”

King is seeded first in the 100- and 200-yard freestyles. She took first in both last year while also setting records. She posted a time of 1 minute, 46.01 seconds in the 200 and 48.21 in the 100.

O’Connor is seeded first in the 100 backstroke and the 50 free after taking first last year in the 50 free and second in the backstroke.

Mutter will look to repeat as champion in the boys 100 butterfly, where he is the top seed. He posted a time of 48.30 last year, which was a record. He is also seeded third in the 500 free, an event that is new for him this year.

“Last year all his events were on the first day,” Felice said. “He wanted to spread them out this year and really wants to score well in the 500 free.”

Gardner is seeded second in the 200 IM and first in the 100 breaststroke. He finished second in the breaststroke last year but still swam fast enough (55.27) to break his own record (55.81).

Coach Felice says they’re all looking towards states and placing at or near the top of the podium again.

“Lily really wants to get the state record in the 200 free, and she’s very close,” Felice said. “Joseph was a double state champ in the 100 breast and the 200 IM and wants to repeat that effort, and Kiersten placed third in the 100 backstroke at states and would like to get first in that event to be a double state champ as she looks to repeat as champ in the 50 free.”

Mt. Pleasant’s boys team is seeded first in the 200 medley and 200 free relays and are third in the 400 free relay. It is the reigning champ in the 200 medley. Mutter, Gardner and junior Gunnar Probst are returning members of that relay team that set a WPIAL record with a time of 1:34.15.

The girls also have their relay teams seeded very high. Their 200 medley relay is looking to defend its first-place finish from last year and is seeded second. It is seeded first in the 200 and 400 relays.

Including the four aforementioned swimmers, the Vikings are sending 16 qualified swimmers to this year’s championships, including three freshmen.

Owen Spires is swimming the 100 breaststroke, and Colby Emerick will race in the 100 back for the boys and Giada Bando will swim in the 200 free for the girls.

Other Vikings include Probst, who is seeded second in the 50 free and third in the 100 free, and Riley Shinsky, who is seeded fourth in the 50 and 100 free. Lainey Brown is seeded sixth in the 100 breast, and Cody Fusco is seeded fifth in the 200 free.

With their numbers and their high seeds, it appears the Vikings boys and girls teams could come away with team championships after placing third (boys) and second (girls) in last year’s competition.

But Coach Felice knows that although they have plenty of swimmers at the top, her team just doesn’t have the depth in certain areas for the teams to grab the most points they possibly can.

“It’s hard when they score out 16 places in the WPIAL meet,” Felice said. “We have those kids seeded at the top and some towards the bottom, but a lot of other teams have more swimmers towards the middle. Those points add up.

“We’ll see what happens. We would like to win, and I think we have a shot.”

The only team from Westmoreland County with more qualified swimmers than the Vikings is Franklin Regional, which will bring 22 to the championships.

The girls team, which swims in 2A, will be led by Magdalena Hull, who is seeded second in the 200 free and the 500 free. The girls 400 free relay is seeded second, and the 200 free relay is seeded fourth.

For the Panthers boys team, which swims in 3A, Thomas Westerman is the highest seeded swimmer, being seeded fifth in the 200 free and sixth in the 500 free.

Latrobe brings the third-most swimmers with 11.

Senior Lauren Bell is seeded first in the 100 fly after finishing second in the event last year. She also placed second in the 100 free and is seeded fourth in this year’s race.

Chris Heese is seeded fourth in the boys 50 free, and Patrick Cratty is seeded eighth in the 200 free and seventh in the 100 free.

Derry will have eight qualified swimmers competing in 2A. The girls 200 free relay is seeded second, the only top-five seed for the Trojans. Maddie Repak is seeded ninth in the 50 free, and Alexa Darazio is eighth in the 100 fly and ninth in the 100 back.

Norwin has a couple of swimmers seeded third in their events: Amber Klingensmith in the 100 butterfly and Tyler Turgeon in the boys 100 fly. The Knights have nine competing swimmers in 3A.

Kiski Area, who’s girls team won the 2A championship last year, qualified seven swimmers. Senior distance swimmer Justin Tucker is seeded fifth in the 200 IM and the 500 free.

The Lady Cavaliers 400 free relay that placed first last year and secured the championship, is seeded 10th this year.

Belle Vernon has seven qualified swimmers, with Brady Malekovich seeded third in the 50 free and fourth in the 100 free.

Elizabeth Forward is sending eight swimmers with Brodie Weagley being the highest seeded at fourth in the boys 100 back. Sydney Boyd is seeded seventh in the girls 200 IM, and Bryce McLaughlin is also seventh in the boys 50 free.

Hempfield had five swimmers qualify, Penn-Trafford four and Greensburg Salem is sending three.

Southmoreland has two swimmers in this year’s event. Junior Allison Stinnett is seeded in both her events: the 200 IM and the 100 breast. She placed fourth in the 100 breast last year. Freshman Daniel Busato will swim in the 200 and 500 free.

Tags: Mt. Pleasant