Shaler notebook: Swimming team wants to build on WPIAL showing

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, March 12, 2018 | 12:36 AM

Everyone involved with the Shaler swimming program came away with a valuable learning experience after the WPIAL Class AAA championships two weeks ago at Pitt's Trees Pool.

With a roster loaded with underclassmen, the Titans didn't finish with a state qualifier. Shaler instead focused on building a foundation for next season.

For the first time in about 20 years, Titans coach Keith Simmons will be leading the summer program. Simmons wants to help bring everything at Shaler into sync.

“What has to happen is we have to get some of the incoming freshmen to swim a little better,” Simmons said. “We are going to have a good continuity from everything we are going to do September until now. It's going to start in April and go until the middle of August.”

The standout moment for Shaler at WPIALs was the girls 200 freestyle relay setting a school record. Jenna Stanton, Meghan Harris, Lydio Nebiolo and Olivia DiBon finished in 1 minute, 44.33 seconds, breaking the Titans' record by nearly a second and going faster than their seed time of 1:46.09.

Stanton had the top individual finish, placing 15th in the butterfly (59.51).

Josh Owczarzak finished 18th in diving by scoring 228.50 points.

“For the most part, it was a positive meet for them,” Simmons said. “I think we had 11 swims, and eight of them were best times.

“I think they understand now, and they have a better understanding of what they are going to do when they get here. I don't think it's going to be a nerve issue for them. They now have the confidence of knowing how they are going to do it.”

Hockey

Shaler hung with one of the PIHL's elite Class AA programs, Quaker Valley, but lost 4-3 in overtime in a first-round playoff game. Daniel Fagan scored the winner for the Quakers.

Shaler (10-11) rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the third period on goals from Cameron Wycich and Mitchell Werry. Wyatt Wolf made 19 saves in net, and Jason Fischerkeller also scored for the Titans.

Bocce

The Shaler unified bocce team placed sixth at the Allegheny County bocce championships last week at Baldwin High School.

The bocce team is a partnership between Shaler and the Pennsylvania Special Olympics.

Josh Rizzo is a freelance writer.

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