Mt. Lebanon ladies closing the gap against NA
Eleanor Bailey/thealmanac
Trinity Ward comes up for air during the 100-yard butterfly event. The Mt. Lebanon senior won the event but fell shy of breaking the WPIAL record set in 1983 by Melanie Buddemeyer of Penn Hills.
By Eleanor Bailey/Almanac Sports Editor/ebailey@thealmanac.net
Hannah Morelli and Maddie Dorish display strong emotions as they root on Elizabeth McDyer during the final leg of the 200-yard individual medley while Trinity Ward (center) awaits anxiously for the culmination of the race. The Blue Devils won the event in 49.66 time
By Eleanor Bailey/Almanac Sports Editor/ebailey@thealmanac.net
Sophia Donati leaps from the starting block during WPIAL swimming championship action. The Mt. Lebanon senior secured silver medals in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle races.
The gap between the North Allegheny girls and the rest of the WPIAL continues but, thanks to Mt. Lebanon, it has narrowed. Though the Lady Tigers captured an unprecedented 11th straight District 7 team championship, their margin of victory was 58.5 points over the Blue Devils, 313-254.5.
Regarding the Lady Tigers, Lebo skipper Tom Donati acknowledged their dominance.
“They are good. They have a great program. When you are going up against NA, you are going against their depth and that’s a credit to them and the great program Pat (Wentzel) runs,” Donati said.
“But, we are getting closer,” he added. “I’m proud of my girls. We moved up on them.”
Thanks to Trinity Ward and Sophia Donati, the Lebo ladies have pulled closer to NA. However, both WPIAL champions move on to Kentucky and Bucknell respectively for their collegiate careers.
Ward has dominated WPIAL action. The senior captured her fourth title in the 100-yard butterfly (54.44) but she fell short of the meet record of 54.16 set by Melanie Buddemeyer of Penn Hills in 1983.
“I really did want the record,” Ward admitted, “but it’s still the fastest that I have gone at this meet by far, which is a great sign for states. I’m super excited for what’s to come,” added Ward, who won a PIAA title as a sophomore.
Donati empathized with Ward, noting she was caught in the middle of looking at the record and still having two weeks to prepare for the state meet to be held March 13-16 at Bucknell University. He reminded Ward of her tremendous achievement of being a four-time WPIAL champion.
“That’s special,” he said. “She was a little frustrated that she did not get the record but look at the big picture. States is ahead. So I told her ‘let’s keep fighting.'”
Ward fought hard in the 100-yard freestyle but she could not topple three-time champion Olivia Livingston. The Division I recruit, who has also won three 50 free titles clocked a 49.97 to Ward’s 51.47 mark, which was below her seed time of 52.93.
With her WPIAL career coming to an end with two more medals in relay action, Ward acknowledged her achievements have been due to the Lebo program.
“I’m very blessed to have been part of Mt. Lebanon swim team and have Tom Donati and all the others we have as coaches and have my teammates. I’m very thankful.”
Donati, obviously, is thankful to have his daughter, Sophia, on his team. The senior secured two silver medals in individual action.
Although seeded first in the event, she secured second place in the 200-yard free. NA’s Molly Smyers won the race in 1:51.42 while Donati clocked in at 1:52.06.
“Sophia felt the pressure of being seeded first and trying to win the WPIAL title. She went out and had her best 100 free time and the NA girl knew it. She got on the rope and waited. She knew Sophia would go and she reeled her in.”
“But, Sophia gets it. She said, ‘Dad, it’s my highest place ever and my best time.'”
Donati also had a best time (5:03.50) in the 500 free but she again finished runner-up to Smyers, who won the race in 4:58.72.
Donati also swam a personal best when she anchored the 200 free relay that also consisted of Maddie Dorish, Elizabeth McDyer and Meredith Reese to victory in 1:36.83. Her split time was a blazing 23.4.
Mt. Lebanon also won the 200-yard medley relay. Hannah Morelli (back), Dorish (breast), Ward (fly) and McDyer (free) posted a time winning time of 1:43.87.
Meanwhile, in the 400 free relay Donati, Zoe Rebol, Mary Hoffman and Ward finished runner-up to NA with a 3:31.59 time.
“I would have liked to have won that relay,” Donati said. “We win two relays and win the 100 fly and all four of 50 freestylers score but you are going up against NA and their depth. We had a few hiccups on the first day but we came back and had a much better showing on the second day. We were looser and we were having fun.”
In that 50 free, Dorish and McDyer finished fourth and eighth to Livingston, who lowered her WPIAL record time of 22.83, set last season, by .05. Reese (13th) and Sydney Saba (16th) also gained points for Lebo in the event.
In the 100 breaststroke, Dorish had her fun and placed third while Olivia Yaremcho took 12th and Reese added 15th to add to Lebo’s score. In the 100 back, Morelli pitched in with eighth place. Hoffman and Rebol picked points in the 100 and 500 free races.
Donati laughs when his brother reminds him that he is the “King of Runners-up”, having collected 11 second-place WPIAL trophies, but he knows he and his teams are getting closer to the jackpot.
“Obviously, we wish we could have been a little closer this year,” he added. “But we are looking forward to the future. The kids are great. They are happy and looking forward to going to states and getting faster.”
Note: Visit www.wpial.org for all the results from the District 7 championship meet.
Only the first-place finishers automatically advance to the PIAA finals to be held March 13-16 at Bucknell University. The rest of the berths will be determined by best times around the state and will be announced on March 4.
Abbie Duncan excelled during the meet. The South Fayette junior secured a silver medal in the 100-yard backstroke with a 56.07 time.
“Abbie did great,” said SF coach Matt Tucker. “She had a very good start. Her first stroke she came up and was going real well right away. She hit her first turn and then stayed in good position the rest of the way.”
Duncan also put herself in position to qualify for states in the 200 free. She posted her best time (1:53) in finishing fifth.
Duncan also led off the 400-yard freestyle relay that included Allie Whalen, Morgan Young and Hailey Poe. All underclassmen, the unit placed 15th with a best time of 3:42.82.
“Abbie is our best shot at state. She had a great performance in the back and did well in the free,” Tucker said.
Noting this was the first year that the South Fayette boys were competing at the AAA level, Tucker said it was a “learning curve for them” but he was pleased in with the overall performance of his teams.
“The boys and the girls finished up with some of their best times,” he said. “And that 400 free (girls) relay did especially well.”
n swimming, times are always more important than medals and positions on the podium. Just ask Peters Township skipper Mike Meyers.
After the two-day WPIAL championship meet at the University of Pittsburgh’s Trees Pool, he was pleased with his swimmers.
“We did well all the way around,” he said. “We had a lot of lifetime best times and that amazing considering this meet just keeps getting so fast. It’s crazy. But, I am pleased. We did really, really well.”
Though each placed 13th in their gender’s 100-yard backstroke races, Cassidy Sweeney and Ryan Rose submitted the best individual performances for the Indians.
A junior, Sweeney took third in the butterfly while Rose, a sophomore, grabbed the bronze in the 50 freestyle and came close to breaking the school record for that race.
Meyers anticipates both Sweeney and Rose will make the cut when qualifying times for the PIAA championships are announced on March 4. He also hopes to advance two relays.
The boys’ medley relay team placed eighth overall with Rose as the anchor. Justin Manhollan, Bert Wang and Aidan Dowdall also comprised the unit.
The boys’ 400 free relay finished ninth. Garrett Buzzelli, Alexander Lepri, Alec Haag and Wang made up that unit.