Thursday in VarsityXtra
Upper St. Clair swimmer Josh Matheny is establishing himself on the world stage
It’s not too far-fetched to say that the world is watching every time Upper St. Clair swimmer Josh Matheny dives into a pool.
So, which one do you think might not belong? North Hills’ LaVar Arrington, Jeannette’s Terrelle Pryor, McKeesport’s Swin Cash, Beaver Falls’ Candy Young, Franklin Regional’s Spencer Lee, Seton LaSalle’s Suzie McConnell and …
Upper St. Clair’s Josh Matheny.
If you don’t follow high school swimming you might wonder who in the name of terrific athletes is Josh Matheny and why should he be mentioned along with some of the greatest athletes in the WPIAL over the past 40 years, people who were recognized among the best on the national level in their high school days? Arrington and Pryor were national football players of the year, just like Washington’s Brian Davis was in 1984. Don’t forget Connellsville’s Madison Wiltrout and South Park’s Billy Stanley both set national high school records in the javelin. Heck, Beaver Falls’ Young held a world indoor track record in hurdles as a high schooler.
But when you consider what Matheny did in his high school career — and where he might be headed — it’s no joshing that the kid who has two lizards as pets most certainly deserves a spot next to WPIAL royalty.
“I love animals and they have a lot of personality for being lizards,” Matheny said of his two bearded dragons.
And Matheny was a beast himself as a swimmer at Upper St. Clair High School. Matheny, 18, recently wrapped up a decorated scholastic swimming career. He dominated on the WPIAL level and won five career gold medals in individual events at the PIAA championships. But to fully appreciate Matheny’s talents, don’t think of him so provincially. He set a national high school record in the 100-yard breaststroke as a sophomore — and then broke it a few weeks ago at the PIAA championships.
Two years ago, he won two gold medals and two silver medals at the World Junior Championships in Hungary.
And get this: This past weekend at the Speedo Sectionals in Indianapolis, Matheny, representing Pittsburgh Elite Aquatics ( PEAQ), went up against some big-time competition who were adults. He won the 200-meter breaststroke with a time of 2 minutes, 11.05 seconds. The second-place finisher was Cody Miller, who clocked 2:11.71. In the 100 breaststroke, Matheny and Miller tied with a time of 1:00.31.
To put Matheny’s performance in perspective, consider Miller is 29 and earned a bronze medal in the 100 breaststroke at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and also swam a breaststroke leg on a relay team that won a gold medal.
So, look out world. Josh Matheny is coming and he’s not even out of high school yet. Matheny already has qualified for the Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb., in June. And you should hear what his future college coach says about him. Matheny has signed with the Indiana Hoosiers.
“I think Josh has an outside chance at the Olympics this year,” Indiana coach Ray Looze said. “I talk to USA Swimming officials all the time. This is our next great breaststroker in a long line of breaststrokers. I think Josh, God willing he stays healthy, will be on the podium of the Olympics someday and go times never gone before. … He’s the real deal.”
Dave Schraven is Upper St. Clair High School’s coach, but has been training Matheny for a decade as coach of PEAQ. Schraven also was an assistant for the U.S. team at the World Junior Championships two years ago when Matheny won two golds.
“He’s not favored to make the Olympic team this year, but he certainly has a chance,” Schraven said. “I’m pretty certain the last high school male swimmer to make the U. S. Olympic team was Michael Phelps years ago. I don’t think there’s been another high school male since. For the next Olympic cycle in 2024, he’ll be in a prime spot. But I’ve talked with people enough to know USA Swimming is looking at him as a future breaststroker. That’s a big responsibility, but a validation of the kind of talent he has.”
Matheny’s time in the 200-meter breaststroke at a meet in
December would’ve placed him fourth at the NCAA Division I championships this past weekend. So, considering Matheny’s accomplishments already, considering his times, you can understand why this 18-year-old might be deserving of a spot among the WPIAL’s elite athletes. Of course, his full legacy will be determined by his future accomplishments. But for right now …
“Hey, I grew up in the Bay Area and we had a guy named Joe Montana playing football (for the San Franciso 49ers), so I know all about Western Pa. athletes,” Looze said. “People have indoctrinated me on how many great athletes come out of that area. You’ve got good people there and it’s a part of the country we like to recruit. I’d call it a hot spot. For athleticism, it produces more people than it probably should, for whatever reason.”
Schraven said, “I know swimming is not as high of a profile sport as basketball or football. That’s understandable — and it’s hard to compare apples and oranges. But it’s hard for me to imagine that someone could be as dominant in a sport as Josh, and not be considered one of the best athletes from Western Pa.”
For a number of years, Matheny was more than just a one-sport athlete. Born in Vermont, the Matheny family (Jeffrey and Kristin Matheny have two older daughters) moved to Pittsburgh and Upper St. Clair when Josh was 1. He was reputed to be a talented hockey and lacrosse player in his younger years, but gave up those sports after eighth grade to concentrate on swimming.
“I would like to think I was a solid hockey and lacrosse player,” Matheny said with a laugh. “But obviously I wasn’t as good as swimming. But I enjoyed my time in those sports. I made some good friends and it was enjoyable. The main thing was that swimming was my favorite of the three. But back in the day, doing some other things I enjoyed, made me a well-rounded athlete.”
Nowadays, Matheny endures a time-consuming training regimen. A typical week is wake up at 5 a.m. on Mondays and Fridays to swim for an hour and light weights for an hour — before school. Then there is a two-hour practice after school. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he swims for only two hours after school. Saturdays and Sundays mean a three-hour practice each day. Wednesdays are his “off day.” He only lifts weights that day.
On top of the swimming, Matheny carries a 3.98 grade-point average in the classroom. He is an affable young man who seems to have a carefree attitude. But Schraven and Looze say Matheny has a competitive desire that isn’t evident in most high school athletes.
“He truly desires to be the best and he backs it up with the work he puts in,” Schraven said.
Looze said, “He’s got a pretty high- tempo approach to the breaststroke. He’s ultra-competitive. I think he’s very similar to a female swimmer we had here at Indiana, Lilly King. She’s a worldrecord holder in the breaststroke and an Olympic gold medalist.”
Matheny said, “I’m glad some people think I come off as nice and articulate. I try to be as nice as I can. But I’d say 20-30 minutes before a race, I go into a different mindset. I’m a different person.”
But will he one day be an Olympic “person?” Matheny has two future meets this spring in Richmond, Va., and Indianapolis, before the Olympic Trials.
“Making the Olympic team someday is the first goal, and we’ll go from there,” Matheny said. “I try not to think about what other people want me to do. I try to think about what I want to do.”
He has already done a lot.