Quaker Valley swimmers gearing up for postseason success

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, January 5, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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Quaker Valley coaches Mercedes McCarthy and Vernon Yenick are anticipating at least a few — if not more — breathtaking performances by senior diver Ruby Olliffe this season.

A fourth-year diving specialist, Olliffe repeated as a state qualifier last year after finishing as the WPIAL Class 2A runner-up. Olliffe placed fourth at the PIAA championships.

“Ruby earned her WIP (WPIAL qualifying) cut after her first meet,” McCarthy said. “She is so skilled at the higher dives and is very artistic in the execution. She really knows how to put on a show. We expect she will do amazing her final year in high school diving.”

Yenick is the diving coach at Quaker Valley.

“I have great expectations for Ruby this year,” Yenick said. “She’s diving better than ever and has competed in some USA diving events with great success.

“Ruby has improved her strength: her jump off the springboard and her entries into the water. Her rip is excellent. She has been training with several coaches, which is always the case with the top kids in diving, and has responded well to the various coaching styles.”

Olliffe will continue her diving career at Bucknell next year. Located in Lewisburg, Bucknell is a member of the NCAA Division I Patriot League.

“Ruby is one of the most talented divers I’ve seen come through the sport. Her diving is graceful, strong and extremely precise,” Vernick said. ”She is feeling good physically, and I know this will be her best season yet.”

Olliffe and swimmer Margaret Getty are the only seniors on the QV girls swim team this season. Both advanced to the state finals a year ago.

Getty qualified for the PIAA Class 2A championships in four events, advancing in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles and two relays.

Getty swam a personal-best time of 1 minute, 57.10 seconds to place fifth in the 200 free at last year’s WPIALs. She also logged a PR of 5:19.48 to take third in the 500 free.

“Margaret no doubt will get her WIP cut in every event,” McCarthy said, “but her heart is in the distance events. Already earning her WIP cuts in the 500 and 200 freestyles this season, her goal is the podium at states.”

In the Quakers junior class, Alexa Westwood is a returning state swimmer who adds speed to the relays. Westwood was a WPIAL qualifier in the 100 backstroke.

“Alexa excels in the 100 backstroke and the 50 and 100 freestyles,” McCarthy said, “all of which she has her MAC cuts in.”

MAC cut refers to the time standard that qualifies an athlete for the Midwestern Athletic Conference meet.

“It’s a big local meet held at Moon High school in February,” McCarthy said. “It’s a pretty big deal to the athletes to get those (WIP and MAC) cuts.”

QV is a MAC member school and also a cooperative program with Sewickley Academy in swimming and diving.

QV junior Kendra Hines favors the distance events, particularly the 500 free, and Makenna Burns is another junior on the radar for her MAC cut.

Also looking to make a splash this winter is Margaret Burns, who is back in the pool after recovering from surgery.

Lydia Kilpela, a Sewickley Academy student, leads the way for the sophomore swimmers at QV. Kilpela was a PIAA qualifier a year ago.

She finished in the WPIAL’s top 20 in the 100 backstroke and 200 individual medley, and also was a relay competitor.

“Lydia has her WIP cut in the 200 IM and MAC cuts in the 100 backstroke, 50 and 100 freestyles,” McCarthy said.

Others performing well for the Quakers include juniors Harper LaLomia, Ariana Batina, Anna Fiedler and Anna Fuener.

LaLomia advanced to the WPIAL championships last year and has attained MAC cuts in 100 and 50 freestyles and 100 back.

Batina has achieved MAC cuts in the 100 and 200 freestyles, as well as the 100 butterfly. Fiedler, who attends Sewickley Academy, has hit the MAC cut in the 200 IM, 100 breast and 100 free.

Fuener has attained the MAC cut in the 100 breast and is close in the 500 free.

Top freshmen on the girls team this season include Charlotte Chappell, Lilly Gibson, Cali Murawski and Amelia Suhayda.

Chappell and Gibson have been swimming in the freestyle events.

“Charlotte favors swimming the breaststroke, as well,” said her coach, “while Murawski favors the sprint events, the 50 and 100 freestyles, which she has MAC cuts in. She also has her MAC cut in the 100 backstroke.”

Suhayda has made an awesome first impression.

“Amelia slid right into the hole in the fly spot that was left when Emily Connors graduated,” McCarthy said. “Amelia has WIP cuts in 100 fly, 200 IM and 100 freestyle and helps make contributions in the relays.

One of the Quakers’ team strengths are the relay events.

“Both boys and girls relay teams have earned all the relay cuts. We will work to improve our seed times for WIPs,” McCarthy said. “When you have a small team, everyone counts. I like to think we are small but mighty.”

QV’s boys squad includes three swimmers from Sewickley Academy — junior Marcus Zhan, freshman Augustin Zhan and Youran Li.

The older Zhan brother made his presence felt last season as a PIAA finalist in the 200 and 500 freestyles. He also swam with the PIAA-qualifying 200 medley and 200 free relayers.

“Marcus dominates in the distance events,” McCarthy said. “He has WIP cuts in both the 500 and 200 freestyle. And his younger brother Augustin piles on WIP cuts in anything he swims.”

Li is new to swimming in the United States. He is an exchange student from China.

“Having swum in his homeland, Youran is getting a feel for the way the high school sports are here in America,” McCarthy said. “He likes the freestyle events and the fly.”

Junior Ryan Steinfurth advanced to WPIALs in the 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle last year and already has earned WIP cuts in both events this season.

“Ryan wants to make a (strong) showing in the 100 back and the 100 free,” his coach said.

Thomas Fuener earned four WIP cuts in the first meet of the season at South Fayette. Fuener, a senior, advanced to the PIAA finals last winter in the 100 butterfly.

“His goal is to rack up every individual WIP cut,” McCarthy said. “He has three more events to knock off — the 500 free, 100 breast and back. The plan is to place in the top 5 in the 100 fly at WIPs and possibly in our three relay entries.”

Adlan Hifri, also a senior, already has registered a faster WIP seed in the 100 breast this season than he did all of last year.

“And that will surely get faster,” McCarthy said. ”Next up for Adlan will be the 50 free.”

Fuener, Steinfurth, Hifri and Zhan swam in both state-qualifying relays (200 medley, 200 free) in 2023-24.

QV junior Austin Young always seems to be hitting the MAC cut time in the 50 and 100 freestyles. He was a WPIAL qualifier in the 100 free last season.

“Austin powers through the water every time he swims,” McCarthy said.

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