Franklin Regional’s Holden Thomas, Mt. Pleasant pair earn WPIAL swimming titles

By: Michael Love
Friday, March 1, 2024 | 9:30 PM

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Holden Thomas earned a bronze medal last year in the boys Class 3A 100-yard backstroke.

He stood on the third step of the award podium looking up at WPIAL champ William Gao from North Allegheny and runner-up Patton Graziano from Penn-Trafford.

This time around, Thomas wanted to be the one with a gold medal around his neck.

Thomas made his goal a reality Friday at Pitt’s Trees Pool with a winning time of 49.08 seconds, slicing more than 2.5 seconds from his seed time.

He came in seeded third behind Graziano and Bethel Park freshman Jackson Edwards.

Graziano, a senior, held his seed place, finishing second with a time of 49.76.

Edwards finished third (50.10), and Gao settled for fourth (50.42).

“It’s a pretty awesome feeling,” said Thomas, who placed second in the 100 butterfly Thursday.

“Patton and I have been racing literally all through high school. We’ve been neck-and-neck. Our parents have jokes between us. He wins one, I win one, he wins one, I win one. It really is back and forth. It is good to be alongside him, for sure.

“I actually thought the (100 back) would be even closer. I thought we would all be within 0.2 of each other.”

Thomas’ 100 back title was one of three individual championships recorded by area swimmers Friday.

Mt. Pleasant junior Lily King continued to amaze as she broke her own WPIAL record in the 100 freestyle.

Her time of 48.21 seconds not only surpassed the 48.58 she recorded at WPIALs last year but also broke the Trees Pool record of 48.47.

“I was very excited about (the 100 free),” said King, who also bettered her own WPIAL record in the 200 free Thursday.

“Going into that race, I was nervous because I always get nervous before races. But I really wanted to get a better time than I did last year. I just go into races seeing how fast I can go. It was really awesome to be able to do that.”

Two events later, Mt. Pleasant junior Kiersten O’Connor claimed her second WPIAL individual title of the two-day championships with gold in the girls 100 backstroke.

O’Connor was one of three in the event with seed times under 1 minute, and her winning time of 55.37 was one of five to break 1:00.

“It is a great feeling,” said O’Connor, who was third last year in the 100 back behind WPIAL record-holder Ella Menear from Mapletown and Hampton’s Lainey Sheets.

O’Connor also lowered her own 100 back school record.

Sheets repeated as runner-up.

“I feel that all the hard work we put in as a team and individually has really paid off,” O’Connor said. “It is a rewarding feeling.

“I was really nervous coming in. But I was also really excited. This is my favorite event, so it’s so amazing that I get to swim this every year.”

Only the WPIAL champions in each Class 2A and Class 3A event earned an automatic bid to the PIAA championships March 13-16, at Bucknell.

The remaining at-large bids will be determined based on times recorded at each district or regional meet throughout the state.

Plenty of area swimmers and relays will be headed to Bucknell after more top swims Friday.

Latrobe junior Lauren Bell earned her second individual silver medal in as many days Friday as she finished a half second (51.01) behind Upper St. Clair senior Kaitlyn Connors (50.30) for the girls 100 free title.

Connors repeated as 100 free champ. Bell moved up one spot from third in the event last year.

“For the last three years, I’ve been swimming against (Connors), and I know that if I can pace with her, I am doing well,” Bell said.

“I was expecting to go a little bit faster because at counties, I split a 51 in the 400 relay. But I am really happy with my time. I am definitely pleased with my two silvers. The girls who beat me this year are super swimmers. I am very satisfied. ”

In addition to his swim in the 100 back, Graziano had his sights set on a repeat WPIAL title in the boys 100 free.

In a race expected to be close to the wall, the top three finishers were separated by just nine one-hundredths of a second.

Upper St. Clair sophomore Nazar Zoukovski claimed gold with a time of 45.80, while North Allegheny junior Grant Regule was second (45.85), and Graziano was third (45.89).

“I think it was a great meet for me,” said Graziano, who helped the Penn-Trafford boys medley relay take fifth and the 200 free relay finish fourth on Thursday.

“If I would have won with my (individual event) times, I would’ve been pretty happy. Despite coming in second and third, those races were positive for me.”

Mt. Pleasant junior Joseph Gardner swam faster than the boys Class 2A 100 breaststroke record of 55.81 he set last year. He recorded a time of 55.27.

But Indiana senior Alex Bauer went faster with a winning time of 55.08.

“I have no doubt I will go faster in two weeks at the state meet,” Gardner said.

Also securing a runner-up finish was the Latrobe boys 400 free relay of junior Patrick Cratty, sophomore Chris Heese, Heinri van der Westhuizen and sophomore Charlie Thomas in a time of 3:13.11. The quartet knocked nearly 11 seconds off its seed time.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Franklin Regional, Mt. Pleasant, Penn-Trafford