The Shady Side Academy boys' swimming team won its ninth straight WPIAL team title, while the boys' and girls' teams combined to win 10 of 22 events at the WPIAL Class AA Swimming Championships, held March 4-5 at the Joseph Trees Pool at the University of Pittsburgh. The boys' team compiled 291 points to win the team title for the 10th time in the last 11 years, while the girls' team totaled 238 points to finish third.
Shady Side won six individual events (Boys 200 IM, 50 Free, 100 Free, 500 Free and 100 Fly; Girls 50 Free) and four relay events (Boys 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay and 400 Free Relay; Girls 200 Medley Relay) while earning 11 additional medals (top eight finish) and eight additional
places (top 16 finish).
Four SSA swimmers won multiple individual and relay events. Senior Frank Brown won the 50 and 100 freestyle and was a member of the winning 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams. Junior David Paulk won the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle and was a member of the winning 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams. Junior Broderick Kelley took gold in the 100 butterfly, the 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay. On the girls' side, junior Natalie Domeisen won the 50 freestyle and was part of the winning 200 medley relay team.
Three other swimmers won multiple relay events, including junior Peter Scott (200 and 400 freestyle relays), and sophomores Grant Zentgraf and Chris Leech (200 medley and 200 freestyle relays). Three SSA girls earned gold in the 200 medley relay along with Domeisen: juniors Anne Marie Bilott and Hillary Cummings and sophomore Courtney Collins.
The boys' 400 freestyle relay team set a WPIAL and school record with a time of 3:13.13, while Anne Marie Bilott set a school record in the girls' 200 individual medley, finishing third with a time of 2:09.34.
The top four swimmers in each event automatically qualify for the PIAA state championships at Bucknell University on March 19-20. In addition to the 10 swimmers listed above, Alexis Concordia, Destin Groff and Tory Bruch will advance to the PIAAs as a result of top four finishes in relay events.
The 529 combined points (238 for the girls and
291 for the boys) were the most of any school in the meet, further
cementing Shady Side's reputation as arguably the best Class AA swimming program in the WPIAL.
