Livingston leads Gateway contingent into WPIAL swimming championships

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, February 26, 2018 | 12:01 AM

Previous Next

Previous Next

Olivia Livingston understands she no longer is the hunter.

The Gateway sophomore will be the hunted Thursday and Friday at the WPIAL Class AAA swimming championships at Pitt's Trees Pool.

She had a debut for the ages last year as a freshman by winning the 50 and 100 freestyles in record fashion. The 100 free time of 49.53 seconds surpassed the previous record set by U.S. Olympian Leah Smith.

At states, she set another record in the 50 free and finished runner-up in the 100 free.

“Olivia's ready. She knows going in that kids are gunning for her times and her titles,” Gateway coach Jonathan Moore said. “She's pretty even keeled. She's kept her head and is focused on the task at hand.”

Livingston is seeded first in the 100 free (49.47) by about four seconds. Her WPIAL record is 49.53.

“She expects it to be closer than the seed times,” Moore said. “It's been a dual-meet setting until now. Someone might get a time in event and not go back to that event because the team needs him or her elsewhere.

“The races will be very competitive. (Mt. Lebanon's) Trinity Ward is seeded with a time of 53.22 (in the 100 free), but she swam 49 seconds at states last year. I can't see her not going faster than that at WPIALs.

Moore said the Gateway contingent is ready to go at WPIALs, including senior Savannah Plaskon, who will swim individually in the 50 free and 100 breaststroke.

It is her fourth and final appearance at WPIALs.

“She recognizes that she's nearing the end of her high school career,” Moore said. “We've had conversations, and we want her to enjoy the entire time, not one particular thing. It's something she'll remember forever.”

Plaskon swam the 100 free and 100 breast at WPIALs last year.

“Her time in the 50 free (25.56, 25th seed) is not her best,” Moore said. “She's gone faster on the USA Swimming side. I expect good races from her.”

Plaskon is seeded 18th in the 100 breast (1:10.58).

“We want the kids to swim their races, swim them how we've trained and see where that puts them compared to everyone else,” Moore said. “You can't control how everyone else does. As long as they are satisfied with their races, that's all they can do.”

The AAA events will be contested both days from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The top eight finishers in each event will earn medals, and the top three qualify automatically for states, set for March 15-18 at Bucknell.

The PIAA also will select additional qualifiers based on their WPIAL times.

Junior Amanda Pugliano and sophomores Jess Stroh and Sydney Perry return to WPIALs and will compete in one or more of the three girls relays.

Freshman Lauren Harper will make her WPIAL debut in the relays.

“She's had a heck of a first season,” Moore said. “She missed about a month and a half with a shoulder injury but came back and swam lights out at the end of the season.”

On the boys side, the Gators will be in all three relays and several individual events.

Senior Michael Holmes returns in the 100 free and has switched from the 100 backstroke to the 200 free. Fellow senior Dave MacMurchy returns in the 100 backstroke, and senior Luke DiPalma and sophomore Nathan Gabriel make their individual-event debuts in the 50 free.

All four have relay experience from last year's WPIAL championships.

Junior Conor Farren returns to WPIAL relay action, and senior Jake Mears, who also qualified for the WPIAL diving championships, will be a part of the Gateway group in the relays.

Freshman Sam DiPalma, Moore said, is an alternate for all three relays.

“Sam's put in the work all season, and his times were consistent,” Moore said.

Michael Love is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at mlove@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Mlove_Trib.

Tags: Gateway