Alle-Kiski Valley swimmers hunt for hardware

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, December 10, 2017 | 9:57 PM

Previous Next

Previous Next

Renee Robson made the most of her first varsity swim season.

The Deer Lakes sophomore posted one of the area's top WPIAL finishes last year as she took fourth in the 50-yard freestyle at the Class AA meet and qualified for states.

She added a sixth-place medal in the 100 free.

Along with numerous other returners in the A-K Valley, Robson said she is ready to take that next step and hopefully bring home more hardware.

“I know I am going to have to bring it even more this season,” said Robson, who is working through sore shoulders with daily therapy sessions.

“The competition is so great in the WPIAL. That's the mindset everyone should have. I want to make sure I do the things necessary to be ready for WPIALs.”

Robson's Deer Lakes teammate, fellow sophomore Adam Morrison, earned a WPIAL medal last season with a seventh-place finish in the 200 free.

The top WPIAL finish among the area returners came from Fox Chapel senior Jossie Filo, who earned silver in the Class AAA girls 50 free and qualified for states.

“Jossie is right where she needs to be at this point,” Fox Chapel coach Dan Taylor said. “She's swimming well.”

Also back for Fox Chapel is junior Jonah Cagley, who hopes to defend his WPIAL Class AAA diving championship.

A nationally ranked competitor, Cagley added a bronze medal at states to cap his sophomore season. Foxes diving coach Vernon Yenick said Cagley has garnered interest from several top Division I programs.

Cagley was one of several local swimmers and divers to set school records last year, and the record boards at each school are expected to see more changes this season.

Plum's Devan Taylor, a junior, competed at states as a freshman and established a school record in the 100 breast three times, most recently at WPIALs last year.

“This is my junior year,” she said. “It's a big year for me. I am a little sore right now from all of the laps, but that tells me I'm working hard.”

Individuals and teams are expected to record a plethora of WPIAL-qualifying swims this week as dual meets commence.

Kiski Area, Burrell, Plum and Springdale hold their first meets Tuesday, and Fox Chapel opens Thursday with a meet against Hampton.

Two meets Thursday feature matchups involving A-K Valley schools: Freeport at Deer Lakes, and Plum at Highlands.

“All of the swimmers have worked so hard in practices, and some are in competition form with their club teams,” Valley coach Becca Bowman said.

“It will be interesting to see how the kids will perform in these December meets. We (Valley teams) are pretty young with some new people. It will be exciting to see where they end up at the end of the season. Every coach sees a lot of improvement in the first couple of weeks.”

In addition to the start of dual meets this week, several area swimmers who also compete on club teams will take part in the 56th annual Christmas meet at Pitt's Trees Pool.

Many of the top swimmers in the WPIAL will go head to head, an early measuring stick.

“It's not the same type of meet you will see at the WPIAL championships (in March), but you still have a lot of the top competition in the same place at the same time,” said Taylor, who also coaches the Fox Chapel Killer Whales club squad.

Swimmers and divers from Kiski Area and Burrell also will test their mettle at the Westmoreland County Coaches Association championships at the end of January. That competition often serves as a kickoff to the participating teams' preparation for the WPIAL championships, which are Feb. 26-March 2 at Trees Pool.

“It's nice to see people in this area step up to the plate every year and deliver,” said Highlands sophomore Rachel Blackburn, a WPIAL Class AA medalist and state qualifier last year as part of the Rams fourth-place 200 free relay with fellow sophomore Breea Bonnett and graduates Bailey Bonnett and Jocelyn Gillette.

The same four also came together to place fifth in the 200 medley relay.

“Hard work pays off, and you've seen that the past couple of years with people winning (WPIAL and PIAA) titles and setting records. Swimming is a sport of people motivating and pushing each other. A lot of the time, you are swimming for yourself (individual events) but are also relied on by teammates (relays).”

This season has taken on a special meaning for Highlands senior Cole Masarik, who has dedicated his campaign to the memory of his grandfather, who died in June.

John Masarik coached swimming at Highlands and led the boys team to several section championships in the early- to mid-1970s.

“He taught me how to swim. He taught a lot of people how to swim,” Masarik said. “He loved to coach and see people succeed.”

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

Tags: Burrell, Fox Chapel, Highlands, Kiski School, Plum