Despite valiant effort, Quaker Valley boys swimmers place 2nd at WPIALs

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, March 5, 2018 | 11:00 PM

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After failing to win its fourth consecutive WPIAL Class AA title, the Quaker Valley boys swimming team will have something to prove at the PIAA championship meet March 16-17 at Bucknell.

“It is a new sight to see us at No. 2 instead of No. 1, but it just makes (us) more motivated,” junior Kieran Ragoowansi said.

The Quakers came in second to Northgate at the WPIAL championships March 1-2 at Pitt's Trees Pool. The Quakers scored 177 points to the Flames' 228.

Quaker coach Erin Cawley said all her swimmers recorded their best times.

“We needed it to be a team (effort), and each and every one of our swimmers and our diver stepped up to the plate,” Cawley said. “I'm very glad we didn't let the WPIAL title go without a fight.”

“Everyone is a little disappointed, but it is hard to be sad considering everyone swam so well,” senior Ben Mastrorocco said.

The Quakers leaned heavily on junior Andres Hubsch, who made states in all four events he swam.

Hubsch placed second in the 100-yard backstroke (53.92 seconds), fourth in the 100 butterfly (52.95) and anchored the 400 freestyle relay (three minutes, 19.73 seconds) and 200 medley relay (1:39.70) teams that finished third and fourth.

He bettered his school record in the 100 backstroke and broke the school record in the 100 butterfly Kevin Langer set in 1994.

“I knew I could trust him when we needed him to dig deep,” Cawley said.

Competing with Hubsch were senior Kevin Bergdoll, senior Devon Jones and Ragoowansi in the 400 freestyle relay and Mastrorocco, Bergdoll and senior Declan McGranahan in the 200 medley relay.

Bergdoll, fifth in the 100 breaststroke (1:01.05), and the eighth-place 200 freestyle relay team of Jones, McGranahan, Mastrorocco and Ragoowansi (1:32.52) picked up medals.

“Kevin was a big player in our performance,” Cawley said. “Ben, Declan, Devon and (Kieran) all did an incredible job.

“Each of them dropped tremendous time, moving themselves up in the process.”

“The team definitely stepped up to the plate in the big moments,” Hubsch said.

Freshman Simon Iwanonkiw qualified earlier for the PIAA championship in 1-meter diving.

“My goal for Simon is to score his personal best and, hopefully, place in the top 16,” Quaker Valley diving coach Haley Ashner said.

Iwanonkiw placed fifth at the WPIAL championship Feb. 23 at South Park.

On the girls side, the 200 freestyle relay team of freshman Halle Wagner, junior Martha Pangburn, senior Allison Lenhardt and sophomore Sophie Besterman placed seventh at WPIALs, earning the Quakers' only medals (1:44.77).

Besterman just missed the podium in the 100 backstroke, where she came in ninth (1:01.47) and broke the school record.

“WPIALs was fun,” Besterman said. “I swam my best times.”

“I knew this would be a rebuilding year,” said Cawley, who also guides the girls. “We have a bright future.”

Karen Kadilak is a freelance writer.

Tags: Quaker Valley