Mt. Lebanon swimmer takes home two gold
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Sylvia Roy won the 100-yard backstroke race during the WPIAL Class AAA championships held March 3-4 at the University of Pittsburgh’s Trees Pool.
Sylvia Roy made a splash in her first WPIAL swimming championships. The Mt. Lebanon freshman won the 50-yard freestyle event as well as the 100-yard backstroke.
Sylvia and Vivian Roy of Mt. Lebanon finished 1-3 in the 100-yard backstroke race during the WPIAL Class AAA swimming championships.
When it comes to swimming, Sylvia Roy is scary good. The Mt. Lebanon ninth grader dominated the WPIAL Class AAA competition, winning both the 50-yard freestyle and 100 backstroke with All-America marks.
“I definitely think there is room for improvement,” Roys said. “My walls are not amazing.”
Lebo head coach Tom Donati agreed. He added there is work to be done on turns and underwater swims for the 6-foot, 14-year-old.
“Sylvia is nowhere where she needs to be or where she will be and that’s the frightening thing because she is only a freshman,” he said.
“Sylvia is strong and pulls so much water,” he added. “She has a great feel for the water. When she goes, she’s like the Energizer bunny. She could quite possibly be the best I have ever coached. I’ve never had someone like her.”
Donati coached Katie Ford. The Lebo grad set school and district records before going on to swim at North Carolina. Roy has already shattered Ford’s marks.
During the district finals held March 3-4 at the University of Pittsburgh’s Trees Pool, Roy won the 50 freestyle in 23.09. While the mark earned her All-America honors, she was off the WPIAL record pace by .38.
Gateway graduate Olivia Livingston, who is swimming at Louisville, set the record of 22.71 in 2018. Livingston also owns the state standard of 22.73.
“The 50 free happens so quickly that you can’t waste too much time and there is no margin for error,” Roy said.
On the second day of competition, Roy dominated the backstroke. She zipped through the water at another All-America pace of 53.93.
The time was .34 off the WPIAL record set in 2015 by Jacquelyn Du from North Allegheny. The state record is 53.08 set in 2014 by Hershey’s Meaghan Raab.
“I didn’t expect to go that fast,” Roy admitted. “The big drop was pretty cool.
“I think I was more relaxed because the first day of WPIALs is nerve-wracking. You try to get mentally prepared and not get stressed out too much. So I was really happy with what I accomplished.”
The 100 back provided a sentimental moment for Roy. Her sister, Vivian, joined her on the podium with a bronze-medal showing. Vivian, who is a junior, clocked a 56.12.
Fox Chapel’s Talia Bugel broke up a possible 1-2 finish when she grabbed runner-up honors with a 56.06 mark.
“It was really cool standing next to her on the podium,” Roy said. “Vivian and I are really close and we don’t fight.”
“They are best friends and best teammates,” agreed Donati. “Selfishly, I would have loved to seen them pull off the 1-2 finish. That would have been so cool but anyone can see that what Sylvia has done is spectacular. She’s special and she’s only going to keep improving.”
Overall, the Lebo ladies showed marked improved. As a team they finished third in the team standings with 216.5 points.
North Allegheny won their 14th title in a row, beating out runner-up Fox Chapel, 344-314. It was the Tigers’ 26th championship overall, the most by any teams team in any sport in WPIAL history.
Relay action contributed to Lebo’s third-place showing.
The medley unit of Sylvia Roy, Marley Reese, Adrienne Hagins and Mary Hoffman as well as the 400 free relay, bookended by the Roy sisters and including Hagins and Hoffman, claimed bronze medals.
The 200 free relay team of Vivian Roy, Hoffman, Hagins and Reese finished fifth.
Individually, Hoffman a spot on the podium with seventh in the 100 free while Vivian Roy finished fourth in the 200 free. Reese added seventh in the 200 IM and Hagins was fourth in the 100 butterfly.
Kaitlyn Connors of Upper St. Clair won the 100-yard freestyle during the WPIAL Class AAA championships and earned a berth in the PIAA finals set for March 16-19 at Bucknell University. She clocked a 50.94 time.
Connors also eared a silver medal in the 200 free.
In relay action, Connors guided the 200 free relay team of Freja Kile, Kendall Drew and Amanda Aidar to a second-place showing. Connors also anchored the same unit to a fourth-place finish in the 400 free.
As a team, USC finished fifth overall with a 159 score.
North Allegheny won a 14th title in a row, beating out runner-up Fox Chapel, 344-314.
Individually, Aidar and Drew joined Connors on the podium.
Aidar took third in the 100 fly and fifth in the 200 IM.
Drew secured seventh place in the 100 back.
South Fayette had a strong showing in the distance events.
Zoe Poe took third in the 200 free and led a 2-3-5 finish with Maddie Berg and Gabby Baiano in the 500 free. The trio also combined with Carolyn Forelock for sixth place in the 400 free relay.