Belle Vernon’s Shahan, Mt. Pleasant’s Gardner defend WPIAL swimming gold

By: Robert Scott
Thursday, February 27, 2020 | 7:41 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Previous Next

The WPIAL Class AA swimming championships at Pitt’s Trees Pool saw several defending champions do just that Thursday — defend their gold medals from vying challengers.

Belle Vernon junior Ian Shahan and Mt. Pleasant senior Heather Gardner were among the swimmers who stayed at the top of the mountain.

Shahan not only retained gold in the 100 yard butterfly in 49.02 seconds, but he also shattered the WPIAL record he set at the event last season (49.66).

Last year, Shahan won WPIAL championships in the 100 butterfly and freestyle events. He is halfway to becoming a two-time defending champion in both events as he will compete in 100 freestyle Friday afternoon.

“I felt pretty good going for (the gold medal and WPIAL record),” Shahan said of his history-making performance. “It was something I was really looking forward to because I knew that if I was going to win, I needed to be faster, and I’m exactly where I need to be heading into states.”

The closest time to Shahan’s first-place performance was Northgate’s Cooper Groll (51.84). Southmoreland freshmen Henry Miller earned a fifth-place medal (54.23).

Gardner won 50 freestyle gold for not a second, but a third straight year, missing the WPIAL record by just over half of a second with a time of 23.62. She also had familiar competition as her freshmen sister, SaraJo, medaled in eighth place in the race (25.16).

“Honestly, (this is) not really (the most special gold medal). I would say my sophomore year gold medal was the best one because it was my first,” Heather said. “I came in here with goals to beat meet records and that didn’t happen, so it’s a little disappointing.”

Both sisters also earned silver medals in relay events.

SaraJo was part of the Vikings’ silver-medal girls 200 medley relay team (1:51.86), which is made up of sophomore Ashlyn Hornick and freshmen McKenna Mizikar and Reegan Brown. The group finished 2.75 seconds behind Laurel Highlands (1:49.11). Greensburg Salem’s girls placed 10th in the race (2:01.05).

Brown also earned an eighth-place medal in the girls 200 individual medley (1:00.7).

“It’s just really special to be able to win a medal in my first WPIAL championship I competed in,” SaraJo said. “I have competed and watched my sister win championships at this pool, so it’s pretty special.”

Heather helped guide Mt. Pleasant’s girls 200 freestyle relay team to a silver medal (1:51.86) along with fellow senior Carly Hixson, Hornick and Mizikar.

The Viking girls own the second-place spot in the Class AA team race after Day 1 (118), only trailing Elizabeth Forward (153) with Laurel Highlands not far behind (117).

Defending girls champion Northgate is fifth (84).

Among other notable performances on the girls side, Belle Vernon’s Delaney Patterson medaled with an eighth-place finish (2:15.00) in the 200 individual medley.

On the boys side, the Leopards’ Sam West finished fourth in the 200 freestyle (1:48.86). He also earned silver in the 200 freestyle relay (1:28.96) with Shahan, Cody Danto and Garrett Ursiny.

The Vikings team of Dalton Swartz, Daniel Lynch, Zak Koch and Brad Paraska placed fourth (1:31.73) in the event.

The Leopards sit at seventh place in the team standings after Day 1 (69 points).

Mt. Pleasant is in 12th (47).

Friday’s action will start with the girls 100 freestyle event at 3 p.m.

Robert Scott III is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.

Tags: Belle Vernon, Mt. Pleasant