Mt.Lebanon girls finish runners-up in WPIAL swimming
Trinity Ward of Mt. Lebanon surfaces for air during the 100-yard butterfly race. The sophomore successfully defended her title, winning the event in 55.08.
Trinity Ward, Maddie Dorish and Sophia Donati react after seeing Mt. Lebanon’s first-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay flash on the scoreboard. Emma Graham anchored the unit to victory in 1:43.90, swimming the final leg, the 50-yard freestyle.
Tom Donati never lost faith. Even after his team lost the section title to its bitter rival, the Mt. Lebanon swim coach believed in his girls and they did not disappoint.
For the second year in a row, the Lebo ladies finished runner-up to powerhouse North Allegheny in the WPIAL Class AAA championships held March 2-3 at the University of Pittsburgh’s Trees Pool. NA won its ninth consecutive champion, beating Lebo, 343-307.
“When we lost to Upper St. Clair, I still believed that we could have a championship season,” Donati said. “There are three parts to a season. Sections and the championship seasons in districts and states,” he added. “I never lost hope in these girls.”
Donati’s convictions go further. The Blue Devils are now poised to make a run at a state title. The top three finishers in each race and those meeting qualifying standards advance to the PIAA championships set for March 15-18 at Bucknell University.
“We are not done yet,” Donati vowed. “We plan to be in the thick of things.”
Lebo certainly was during the district finals. The Blue Devils dominated the relays, winning two of the three, setting a new WPIAL record in one. They also placed an individual atop the podium as Trinity Ward successfully defender her title in the 100-yard butterfly. The sophomore won the race in 55.08.
Ward shattered the record in the 100 freestyle with a 50.46 but Olivia Livingston lowered the mark, set by Olympic gold medalist, Leah Smith of Mt. Lebanon, even further. Gateway freshman won the race in 49.53.
Ward led off the meet by swimming the backstroke leg on Lebo’s successful 200 medley relay. She ended the meet as well as she anchored the Blue Devils’ record-setting 400 free relay.
The medley relay also consisted of Maddie Dorish, Sophia Donati and Emma Graham. Donati and Graham also comprised the free relay along with Kathryn Nicholson, an Alabama recruit. The 400 free relay set a blazing pace, lowering the WPIAL record of 3:25.41 set by North Allegheny in 2014 with a winning mark of 3:25.76.
“Unbelievable,” said Donati of the time. “It was an amazing race and all my girls performed unbelievably well.”
Donati hinted that the relays should go even faster at states. He noted the safe starts and added Lebo will makes some changes and moves.
“It was never a goal to get a record but when you swim against a team like NA that is only going to make us better. We had great, safe starts and swam well. As a coach, I couldn’t be any prouder. What an awesome feeling.”
Lebo had strong showings in the other relay event, taking third in the 200 free with Nicholson, Maggie Baker, Doris and Graham.
Individually, Nicholson finished runner-up to NA’s Lauren McGrath in the 200 free. Donati and Baker finished fifth and seventh in the 50 free. The duo added fifth and 11th respectively in the 100 free. Dorish finished fourth in the breaststroke. Graham, eighth in the back. Devon Scott-Davis was ninth in the 500 free. Marley Howell securing sixth in the fly.
The Lebo boys finished fifth in the team standings with 150.5 points. NA captured its sixth team title in a row, racking up 433 points. Peters Township took home the runner-up trophy with a 238 score.
Some standout performances for the Blue Devils included:
• Jack Cusick, Peter Victor, Sergio Coury and Jack Rice, fifth, 400 free relay; Coury, Victory, Petru Mihailescu, and Rice, sixth, medley; Cusick, Victor, Charlie Rice, Coury, eighth, 200 free.
• Jack Rice and Cusick, fifth and seventh in the 100 free. Rice, seventh, 50 free.
NOTE: Abby Hay from Peters Township was the only other female from the Almanac’s readership area to win an individual gold medal. She successfully defended her 500-yard freestyle title. Read about her achievement online. The Almanac will run her full story in next week’s edition.