Roy, Frank win WPIAL titles

Lead Mt. Lebanon into PIAA meet

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Sylvia Roy made another splash during the WPIAL Class 3A swimming championships. The Mt. Lebanon junior was a two-time champion, winning the 100-yard backstroke as well as the 50 freestyle for the third year in a row.

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Ryan Frank of Mt. Lebanon surfaces for air during the 100-yard breaststroke event at the WPIAL Class 3A swimming championships. The senior clocked a 55.28 to claim the gold medal.

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Ryan Frank of Mt. Lebanon reacts to winning the 100-yard breaststroke event during the WPIAL Class 3A swimming championships. The senior clocked a 55.28 to claim the gold medal.

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Jackson Edwards emerges from underneath the water to start his 100-yard backstroke race during the WPIAL Class 3A championships. The Bethel Park freshman finished third in the event with a 50.10 time.

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Jackson Edwards bursts off the starting blocks during 100-yard backstroke action at the WPIAL Class 3A championships. The Bethel Park freshman finished third in the event with a 50.10 time.

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Zoe Poe of South Fayette creates waves as she cuts through the water during 500-yard freestyle action at the WPIAL Class 3A championships. The senior finished second in the event. She also scored fourth in the 200 free race.

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Jackson Edwards churns through the water during the 100-yard backstroke event during the WPIAL Class 3A championships. The Bethel Park freshman finished third in the event with a 50.10 time.

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Sylvia Roy is on a tight, but busy swimming schedule. The Mt. Lebanon junior though is not too occupied that she doesn’t celebrate the little victories.

Roy, who will compete in the U.S. Olympic Trials in June, dominated the WPIAL Class 3A championships held Feb. 29 and March 1 at Trees Pool on the University of Pittsburgh campus. She brought home two individual gold medals and anchored two medal-winning relays.

After anchoring the medley relay team of Ellie Reinhart, Helen Albu and Lillyan Evan to a runner-up finish against North Allegheny, Roy captured her third straight title in the 50-yard freestyle race in 22.84. She also anchored the 200 free relay team of Albu, Greta Coleman and Evelyn Smith to a fourth-place finish to complete her first day of competition.

On Day Two, Roy dominated the 100-yard backstroke. Again, she won her third straight title in the event but her time of 54.10, like her 50 free mark, was not a WPIAL record.

Because she has ‘sectionals, trials and other meets’ coming up, Roy noted she was not fully rested or tapered.

“So I was not expecting best times,” she said. “I’m happy. This is just the first step in that process.”

Roy’s next step is the PIAA championships being held March 13-16 at the Kinney Natatorium on the Bucknell University campus in Lewisburg. She is the defending state champion in the backstroke.

“Hopefully I will drop time and win again. That’s on the top of my list,” she said. “I still have y senior year, so I can go for the records then.”

Roy’s third crown in the backstroke was noteworthy because she stood atop the podium with two of her teammates. Reinhart and Evan took third and Evan finished fifth. In between, Peters Township’s Lauren Opitz placed fourth.

“It means a lot. Keeping the streak up is going to be fun no matter what the time is but being on that podium with three Lebo girls was really special,” Roy said. “Winning is also fun and important. Being on top of that podium is really special.”

Ryan Frank would agree with that assessment. The Lebo senior captured the gold in the 100-yard breaststroke with a 55.98 time.

Frank noted that being a WPIAL champion and setting the pool record, which he did back at the beginning of the season, were among his goals. The began a reality because of his diligence.

“I never thought I would reach those goals but I just bought in last summer. All my hard work paid off. I’m glad to get the win but I couldn’t have done it without my coaches.”

Frank, who owns a 5.3 GPA and hopes to major in finance in college, is one of 13 Lebo swimmers qualified for states. He is seeded second in the 100 breast behind Conestoga’s Jake Wang.

“Who knows what will happen at states. I’m just happy and focused on the now,” Frank said. “Mainly, I just want to achieve all the things that I can with my God-given talents.”

In addition to Roy and Frank, Lebo’s other PIAA qualifiers include: Albu, Coleman, Evan, Reinhart, Evie Smith, Ryan Frank, Matthew Klepchick, Sangay Lama, Noah Loboda, William Thomas, Michael Zhu and diver Malcom Thompson.

Other top performances submitted by Almanac area schools that earned WPIAL medals included:

From Bethel Park:

Jackson Edwards, second in the 50 free and third in the 100 back. The freshman helped the 200 free relay team of Trent Powell, Brady McKiernan and Nathan Stutzman to a third-place showing and the medley relay team of Luke Myers, Luke Kallaur and Stutzman to a fourth-place finish. Kallaur, Powell, McKiernan and Stutzman combined for eighth in the 400 free relay.

Sam Hoppe, eighth in the 500 free.

Cally Edner, seventh and sixth in the 200 and 500 free.

From South Fayette:

Zoe Poe dropped seven seconds off her seed time but that was not enough for her to defend her title in the 500 free. The senior placed second behind NA’s Claire Bacu, a sophomore who clocked a 4:57.82 time. Poe added fourth in the 200 free.

Maddie Berg, eighth in the 500 free.

From Peters Township:

Ava Komoroski, third and fourth in the 50 and 100 free, and Lauren Opitz, fourth in the fly and back. The duo helped the medley relay unit that included Abigail Smith and Kathryn Pazuchanics to a fifth-place finish.

Visit www.wpial.org for full WPIAL results. Visit www.piaa.org for psych sheets for the state championships.