Elizabeth Forward Girls, Indiana High School Boys Win AA WPIAL Titles

2020 AA WPIAL SWIMMING/DIVING CHAMPIONSHIP

• February 27-28, 2020
• Trees Pool, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• SCY (25y)
• AA Meet Results

The Elizabeth Forward High School girls used outstanding depth to win the 2020 AA WPIAL title by 71 points over Mt. Pleasant, while the Indiana High School boys had five event wins that propelled them to the team title by just 23.

GIRLS MEET

Elizabeth Forward only had two wins throughout the meet, both coming in relays, and both by razor-thin margins.

In the 200 free relay, Ashlee Toth, Marleigh Bennett, Hailey Yurkovich and Kaelyn McClain finished in a time of 1:40.02, narrowly holding off Mt. Pleasant (1:40.09), who had a scintillating 22.58 anchor from Heather Gardner.

In the final race of the meet, Yurkovich, Bennett and McClain were joined by Natalie Glessner as they touched in 3:37.57, edging out Laurel Highlands (3:37.65). Anchoring for the second-place team was Ella Ciez, who split 52.53 to make up over a second and a half. Gardner notably anchored Mt. Pleasant to third in 51.40.

In addition to her outstanding relay splits, Gardner, who has committed to Liberty, also had two individual wins. The senior claimed the 50 free (23.63) and 100 breast (1:04.87).

Also winning two events was sophomore Isabel Huang of the Quaker Valley School District in the 200 IM (2:06.04) and 100 back (57.00), and Winchester Thurston freshman Maeve Kelley in the 200 (1:55.05) and 500 free (5:06.20).

GIRLS TEAM SCORES

1. Elizabeth Forward, 265
2. Mt. Pleasant, 194
3. Laurel Highlands, 193
4. Indiana, 164
5. North Catholic / Quaker Valley School District, 143

 BOYS MEET

Brothers Kyle and Cole Thome were instrumental in helping Indiana High School win the boys’ meet, as they factored in on all five of the school’s event wins.

Cole, a senior, won the 200 IM (1:57.27) and 100 breast (59.31) individually, while Kyle, a junior, won the 200 free (1:41.50).

In the relays, the two of them combined with Kevin Zheng and Isaac Griffith to win both the 200 medley (1:37.01) and 400 free (3:11.91).

Junior Ian Shahan of Belle Vernon was another standout, as he won the 100 fly (49.02), 100 free (44.68) and had a blistering 20.04 anchor leg on his team’s runner-up 200 free relay. Conner McBeth of Neshannock stood out by winning the 50 free by over a second in 20.80, and also finishing a close second behind Shahan in the 100 free (45.08).

BOYS TEAM SCORES

1. Indiana, 236
2. Northgate, 213
3. Riverside, 166
4. Knoch, 154
5. North Catholic, 148