Top freestyle sprinters go head to head in finals
Ian Shahan and Conner McBeth have had a couple of tremendous races in the 100yard freestyle at the WPIAL Class 2A finals at Pitt’s Trees Pool the past two years.
Now, with the venue changed to Upper St. Clair, the two won’t be matched up in this year’s 100 freestyle final.
No. This time they’re going after each other in the 50 freestyle to decide who the fastest sprinter is in the WPIAL.
“Actually, going through all four years of high school, I kind of wanted to do the 50 free and I’d always been seeded first in it,” Shahan said. “And what better time than senior year to change it up a little bit.”
Shahan, who is the twotime defending champion in both the 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly, won the 100 backstroke as a freshman, but switched to the 100 freestyle as a sophomore. The Belle Vernon standout and West Point recruit also finished second in the 100 butterfly as a freshman in 2018.
By switching to the 50 freestyle, he will be taking on McBeth, a Neshannock senior, who is the three-time reigning champion in the race. Shahan is ranked first coming in, though, with a 20.91-second seed time with McBeth second at 21.08.
McBeth won the 50 freestyle last year in 20.80 seconds.
“I’m hoping it’s going to be a good one and I’m really excited to race him,” Shahan said. “He’s one of my favorite guys to race.”
Both will have to deal with learning a new venue as well, which can be tricky. The walls will be different than the ones they are used to at Trees Pool and that one minor alteration could be enough to make a huge impact in a sprint with just one turn.
“It’s pivotal and it’s a vital thing and I’m hoping that, with the short time I have there warming up that I’ll be able to get it down,” Shahan said. “I just have to sprint as fast as I can. I’ve been working on it in practice, trying to get it all ironed out. My game plan is just to go for it.”
Shahan, who is the only Class 2A boys swimmer seeded No. 1 in two events, didn’t make things easy on himself opting for the 50 freestyle over the 100 freestyle for another reason. The 50 freestyle and the 100 butterfly are consecutive events — the only break he will get between races is the time it will take to shuffle the competitors in and out of the pool area from the gymnasium where they will be staying for social distancing purposes.
“It’s going to be very tough. It’s tough not having the meet over two days, but in the current state of the world, you have to take what you can get,” Shahan said. “I’m just glad we’ll have a WPIAL and state season this year.”
Shahan and McBeth won’t be the only swimmers attempting to defend titles.
Indiana senior Kyle Thome is the top seed in the 200 freestyle, while Montour senior Alex May is No. 3 in the 100 backstroke — the event he won last year — behind Riverview freshman Joseph Roth and Northgate sophomore Matthew Purcell. May is the top seed in the 200 individual medley where he finished fourth last year, but was the top returning performer from 2020.
Girls
Her school may have changed, but the events remain the same for Maeve Kelley.
This year, the sophomore will be representing Shady Side Academy instead of Winchester Thurston and will attempt to defend her titles in the 200 and 500 freestyle with a team behind her instead of swimming as an independent..
“I think it’s going to make this a lot more fun, one, because I’m going to be able to have this experience with my teammates and, two, I think I’ll feel more enthusiastic for my races because I’ll be having people cheering me on,” Kelley said. “I’m also in relays, so I’ll feel more connected and more motivated.”
Kelley will come into the finals with a 0.51-second edge over Northgate freshman Elise Nardozzi in seed time for the 200 freestyle and 18.06 seconds over Natalie Glessner of Elizabeth Forward in the 500 freestyle. Kelley was the only qualifier to break 5:00 in the 500 freestyle.
While Kelley will be attempting to become a doublewinner for the second time, Quaker Valley junior Isabel Huang will be attempting to win her fifth and sixth titles. She is the top seed in the 200 individual medley by 4.01 seconds over Mapletown sophomore Ella Menear and has her by 0.06 seconds in the 100 backstroke.
South Park freshman Katie Jackovic is the only other individual who is seeded No. 1 in two events. She is first in the 50 freestyle by 0.22 seconds over Thomas Jefferson senior Hallie Findlan and by 0.07 seconds over Nardozzi and 0.37 seconds over Findlan in the 100 freestyle.