Several WPIAL swimmers, relays punch tickets to PIAA finals
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Wednesday, March 14, 2018 | 1:12 PM
North Allegheny boys swim team members garnered top seeds for the championship finals on Day 1 of the PIAA Class AAA championships Wednesday at Bucknell University.
The 200-yard medley relay started things off with the top time of 1:32.29.
Tigers junior Jack Wright then captured the top seed in the 200 freestyle (1:37.26), sophomore Rick Mihm had the best time in the 200 individual medley (1:47.97), and Mason Gonzalez led the way in the 50 free (20.13).
Gateway sophomore Olivia Livingston is in position to defend her PIAA title in the girls AAA 50 free as she was the lone swimmer to break 23 second in the preliminaries. She swam to a first-place finish in a time of 22.92.
Livingston owns the state record (22.71).
Others on the boys side swimming in the championship finals are Pittsburgh Central Catholic senior Adam Whisner (6th, 200 free), Upper St. Clair junior Jack Fitzpatrick (3rd, 200 IM), USC freshman Josh Matheny (8th, 200 IM), Hempfield junior Gavin Mayo (7th, 50 free), Penn Hills junior Kimani Gregory (2nd, 100 butterfly), North Allegheny senior Andrew Zhang (5th, 100 butterfly) and the North Allegheny (4th) and Pittsburgh Central Catholic (7th) 200 free relays.
Also representing the WPIAL in the girls AAA championship finals are Mt. Lebanon junior Trinity Ward (4th, 100 fly), Oakland Catholic junior Ellie Tiskus (4th, 50 free), Greater Latrobe senior Rylee Jackson (6th, 50 free), Butler sophomore Laura Goettler (4th, 200 IM), Upper St. Clair senior Abby Matheny (7th, 200 free) and the Mt. Lebanon (3rd) and North Allegheny (7th) 200 medley relays.
The boys AAA consolation and championship finals begin at 4:35 p.m., and the girls finals are at 7:05.
Michael Love is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at mlove@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Mlove_Trib.
Tags: Butler, Gateway, Greensburg C.C., Hempfield Area, Latrobe, Mt. lebanon, North Allegheny, Oakland Catholic, Penn Hills, Upper St. Clair
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