Sewickley Herald notebook: Relay teams make splash at Quaker Valley

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, March 9, 2025 | 11:01 AM

The relay teams had successful seasons in the Quaker Valley swimming program.

All three girls and all three boys relay teams qualified for the WPIAL Class 2A championships.

The girls 200 medley relay team consisted of sophomores Lydia Kilpela (backstroke) and Anna Fuener (breaststroke), freshman Amelia Suhayda (butterfly) and senior Margaret Getty (freestyle).

Kilpela, freshman Cali Murawski, Suhayda and Getty made up the 200 freestyle team. The 400 freestylers included junior Alexa Westwood, Kilpela, sophomore Harper LaLomia and Murawski.

“I’m very proud of the girls team’s performance this year,” Fuener said, “and, of course, the boys, too. At the MAC meet recently, we had a few more girls get their WPIAL cuts and earn medals and ribbons. It’s always fun seeing the hard work the girls put in show itself in the pool and on the awards podium.

“Besides physical awards, everyone also really worked hard to make our small group a fun and inclusive team.”

Fuener had expressed great expectation for QV at the WPIAL finals.

“I expect many swimmers will drop times and make it to states in both the relays and individual events,” she said. “I’m excited to watch everyone race and for my own swim in the medley relay as the breaststroker. We’ve really been working hard, so I expect to see some great swims.”

The QV boys 200 medley grouping comprised seniors Ryan Steinfurth (back), Adlan Hifri (breast) and Thomas Fuener (fly) and junior Marcus Zhan (free).

Fuener, Zhan, junior Austin Young and freshman Augustin Zhan teamed together in the 200 freestyle. Steinfurth, Hifri, Augustin Zhan and Young swam in the 400 freestyle.

QV girls get WPIAL win

The Quaker Valley girls basketball team finished with a 15-10 overall record in 2024-25.

The Quakers’ final win of the season took place in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A tournament, a 39-35 decision against visiting McGuffey that capped a seven-game winning streak.

“I think we had great defense, and it really helped us,” junior guard Lucy Roig said. “Our offense was not our best, but we were able to make adjustments to get the win.”

Long year

High school athletes who compete in swimming and diving are disciplinarians, annually tackling the long grind of a winter pool season.

The first practice date for the 2024-25 season was Nov. 15. The WPIAL swimming championships took place Feb. 27-28, followed by the PIAA championships in mid-March.

Zero sum games

Five of the six first-round games in the PIHL Penguins Cup Class A playoffs were shutouts as Quaker Valley, Shaler, Mars, North Hills and North Catholic blanked their opponents.

Charles D’Antonio picked up a hat trick, and Landon Buterbaugh stopped all 17 shots he faced in the Quakers’ 10-0 rout of West Allegheny.

Avonworth defeated Blackhawk, 6-1, in the only first round game in Class A that wasn’t a shutout.

Did you know?

Sewickley Academy’s Mamadou Kane hit 8 of 8 free throws in the fourth quarter in the Panthers’ 51-37 playoff win Feb. 26 against Neshannock.

Kane, a 6-8 freshman forward/center, led Sewickley with 13 points and was complemented by junior guard/forward Lucas Grimsley’s 11.

Tags: Quaker Valley, Sewickley Academy