2021 WPIAL AA CHAMPIONSHIPS
- March 7, 2020
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Short course yards (SCY)
- Results on Meet Mobile – ‘2021 AA WPIAL Swimming/Diving Championships’
Helping Riverside High School to a third-place finish at the 2021 WPIAL AA Championships were Joseph and Alexander Roth, brothers who are also competing in the high school basketball season right now.
TOP TEAM FINISHES
- Hampton – 218
- Northgate – 201.5
- Riverside – 184
- Belle Vernon – 164.5
- Indiana – 157
Joseph Roth, a 6-foot-4 freshman, swam a lifetime best 50.92 to win the 100 back at the WPIAL meet, setting a new meet record. He was also 23.98 leading off their 200 medley relay, which took second, led off their winning 200 free relay (21.80) and anchored their winning 400 free relay (46.78). Alex, a 6-foot-2 junior, was the 100 free runner-up (47.34), while he also split 26.58 swimming breast on their medley, anchored their 200 free relay in 21.17 and led their 400 free relay off with a 48.36.
The meet ran on Saturday, and on Sunday, they were at Ellwood City HS basketball practice (they swim for Riverside under a co-op since Ellwood City has no swim team). The brothers are both starters for the basketball team, and they will play tonight in the WPIAL AAA quarterfinal game against Shady Side. It’s Ellwood City’s first WPIAL quarterfinal appearance in 23 years.
Should Ellwood City win tonight, the Roth brothers will continue to attend both swim practice and basketball practice daily, until one or both of their seasons end. The PIAA Swimming Championships, set for March 19-20, run the same weekend as the PIAA basketball quarterfinals, though.
Meanwhile, at the WPIAL AA swim meet, Hampton’s boys won their first title in 22 years. Winners at this meet get coveted automatic bids to the PIAA AA State Championships in two weeks.
Hampton got things started with a win in the 200 medley relay over Riverside, going 1:36.11 to edge Riverside by .03, getting a 22.88 fly leg from Will Retsch. In the 200 IM, Retsch would win the event in a 1:54.79, their other win of the day.
Ian Shahan, an Army commit and Belle Vernon senior, tied in the 50 free with Neshannock senior and West Virginia commit Conner McBeth, both going 20.36. Coming out of the break, Shahan clocked a win in the 100 fly (49.62), while McBeth went on to take the 100 free (44.87).
Indiana High School senior Kyle Thome was the sole true double winner on the day, first going 1:41.13 in the 200 free and then 4:41.75 in the 500 free. The other victor on Saturday was Southmoreland sophomore Henry Miller in the 100 breast (57.13).
Impressive!
Cool story. Way to diversify!