Kiski Area swim coach Lisa Pepka resigns days before WPIAL meet

By: Michael Love
Tuesday, March 1, 2022 | 12:30 PM

Kiski Area boys and girls swimming coach Lisa Pepka resigned from the position Monday, just three days before the WPIAL championships.

Pepka declined to comment on her decision, but she confirmed she is no longer the head coach.

Kiski Area athletic director John Peterman on Tuesday confirmed Pepka’s resignation, but he, too, declined to comment on the reasons for her departure.

He said it came as a surprise, and the team is moving forward in its WPIAL preparation with assistant Ryan Berberich taking over primary coaching duties.

Pepka served two years as a volunteer with the Cavaliers swim program before ascending to the head coaching position before the 2017-18 season.

Kiski Area swimmers will compete in the WPIAL Class 3A meet Thursday and Friday at Pitt’s Trees Pool.

“The kids are in high spirits. They are loose and excited for Thursday and Friday, as am I,” Berberich said. “It’s unfortunate what happened with coach (Pepka), but at the end of the day, the goals are still the same. We’ve got some kids seeded real nice in different events.

“At the start of the season, we knew what we wanted to do and what business we had to take care of. We’re here now, and we’re going to continue to do what we set out to do.”

Sophomore Eliza Miller is the No. 3 seed for the girls 200-yard individual medley and the 100 breaststroke, and the girls 200 freestyle relay is seeded eighth.

On the boys side, junior Levi Hansen hopes for big things as he is the top seed in the 200 free and the fifth seed in the 500 free.

Fellow junior Parker Sterlitz also is a top seed in the 500 free as he checks in fourth in the fastest heat.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Kiski Area