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Mount Pleasant College's David Mutter gasps during the 200 freestyle at the WPIAL Class AA Swimming Championships held Thursday at Tree's Pool at the University of Pittsburgh. Mutter took second place with a time of 1:41.24.
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Connellsville's Casey Stanton enters the water at the start of the 50-meter freestyle at the WPIAL Class AA Swimming Championships held Thursday at Tree's Pool at the University of Pittsburgh. She Stanton placed fifth in 21.95 seconds.
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Mount Pleasant College's Joseph Gardner hurtles through the water in the 200 IM breaststroke at the WPIAL Class AA Swimming Championships held Thursday at Tree's Pool at the University of Pittsburgh. Gardner tied for third place with a time of 1:56.36.
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Laurel Highlands' Casey Mahoney approaches the finish line in the 200 IM at the WPIAL Class AA Swimming Championships Thursday at Tree's Pool at the University of Pittsburgh.
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Albert Gallatin's Aaron Mocardi swims the 200 IM backstroke division Thursday at the WPIAL Class AA Swimming Championships at Tree's Pool at the University of Pittsburgh.
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Uniontown's Parker King swam the breaststroke leg of the 200-meter medley relay at the WPIAL Class AA Swimming Championships held Thursday at Tree's Pool at the University of Pittsburgh.
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PITTSBURGH – The Mount Pleasant boys team got off to a great start at the WPIAL AA Class Swimming Championships Thursday afternoon, winning the gold medal with a record-breaking performance.
Logan Snively, Joseph Gardner, David Mutter and Gunnar Probst finished the relay in a time of 1:34.15, just under the record time of 1:35.80 set by North Catholic at last year's meet.
“We were definitely chasing a new record, but we also wanted to win,” Probst said. “We were definitely nervous, but we knew we had a chance.
“My splits were pretty good. Not where I wanted them to be, but still very good.”
“(WPIAL record) means a lot,” Probst added.
Probst finished 15th in the 50-meter freestyle in 22.80 seconds.
Later that day, Mutter won gold in the 100 butterfly at the University of Pittsburgh's Trees Pool with his record-breaking swim of 48.30 seconds.
Mutter was second to Southmoreland's Henry Miller, who won the gold medal in the adjacent lane in a then-record time of 48.87 seconds.
“I made a small mistake right after the start, but other than that I had a great race.
It was a simple save,” Mutter explained. “It could have gone better.
“Last year I was second. I raced right next to Henry Miller last year. I know if I claim that (record) he'll be happy that I did it. .”
Mutter earned his third medal on the first day, winning silver in the 200m freestyle with a time of 1:41.24.
Gardner tied for bronze in the 200 IM with a time of 1:56.36. His mark was about three seconds slower than the seed time, but the junior wasn't too happy with his time.
“Not very good. There's not a lot of positives to take from it,” Gardner said. “In two weeks I’ll be back in the states and I’ll be able to swim even faster.
“I didn't really rest for this meet. If you don't lose weight, you can't swim fast. I didn't taper, so I think I'll do well (at the state meet).”
That was fine. I came in 3rd place. i am happy. “
Snively finished eighth in the 100 butterfly with a time of 53.48 seconds, earning him an individual medal.
The Vikings' Seth Painter, Quinn Heinnickel, Probst and Gardner placed eighth in the 200-meter freestyle relay with a time of 1:30.65.
Mount Pleasant finished the first day in second place in the team standings with 133.5 points.
In the 100 butterfly, Painter was 11th and Lucas Poole was 20th.
Uniontown senior Logan Wojtish recovered from a precarious turn to take fifth place in the 100 butterfly with a time of 51.87.
“First turn, the distance was too far. So should I take another stroke or should I skate?” Wojtish said of the situation. “There was no panic. Counting the other wall, when I was a little too early, (he) was probably a second.
“For me, even with that shitty wall and another shitty wall, my self-promotion was vindicated. I'm very satisfied.
Wojtisch will be aiming for his second individual medal in the 100-meter freestyle on Friday.
What is his approach?
“Just swim as fast as you can,” Wojtish said.
Connellsville senior Casey Stanton overcame a mistake on a turn and several “stand-up commands” in the heat to finish fifth in the 50 freestyle in 21.95 seconds.
“I was glad there was no stand-up. I like to go fast (at the start),” Stanton said. “I made a mistake on the wall. I just missed the wall.”
This medal allows Stanton to check one box, and if history is true, his time should secure him a spot in the state meet.
“I was pretty nervous, but I was happy to go to America. I don't know if I would have done it,” Stanton said. “My first medal (WPIAL medal). I love it. I'm very happy about it.”
Stanton felt her medal-winning performance carried over into Friday's 100 freestyle.
“I'm really looking forward to (the 100 freestyle). I'm going to try to get the Connellsville record,” Stanton said.
Elizabeth forwards Ethan Glessner, Thomas Fine, Brodie Weagley and Bryce McLaughlin placed fifth in the 200-meter medley relay with a time of 1:40.03. Matt Betmyer was 24th in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:55.53.
Weagley was 15th in the 200 IM in 2:07.28 and 14th in the 100 butterfly (56.06). McLaughlin finished ninth in the 50 freestyle in 22.58 seconds, just shy of a podium finish. Fine was 14th in the 50-meter freestyle in 22.77 seconds. Glessner was 15th in the 100 butterfly (56.31 points).
The Warriors placed ninth in the 200-meter freestyle relay with a time of 1:30.88.
Uniontown placed 10th in the 200-meter medley relay with a time of 1:45.05 and 13th in the 200-meter freestyle relay. Red Raiders' Parker King placed 21st in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:55.18.
Connellsville finished 19th in the 200-meter medley relay with a time of 1:52.48. The Falcons' Corey Stanton was 29th in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:58.89.
Connellsville's 200 freestyle relay placed 21st with a time of 1:41.24.
Ringgold's Benjamin Karpaal placed eighth in the 200 IM with a time of 2:01.77. Karpal, Brandon Nguyen, Tyler George and Gioni Traeger placed fifth in the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:29.91.
The Rams placed 20th in the 200-meter medley relay with a time of 1:52.88. Traeger placed 10th in the 200m freestyle with a time of 1:48.90. Corben Andrews was 32nd in the 200 IM (2:16.46) and 100 butterfly (59.05). Nguyen was 10th in the 50-meter freestyle in 22.62 seconds, and Ethan Rah was 25th in 24.44 seconds.
Laurel Highlands' Casey Mahoney finished ninth in the 200 IM with a time of 2:02.77, just missing out on the podium.
Belle Vernon's Tim Reda was 13th in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:50.40, nearly three seconds faster than his seeded time. Gaige Watson was 34th in the 200 IM with a time of 2:27.43.
Albert Gallatin sophomore Aaron Mocardi finished 28th in the 200 IM with a time of 2:14.94.
