Fox Chapel’s Shao caps butterfly sweep
Misses record, but still claims 4th gold in event
Last year, Sophie Shao broke the longest standing record still on the books when she swam a 53.85 in the 100-yard butterfly.
That mark will last at least until after she graduates.
Shao, a Fox Chapel senior and Brown University recruit, capped her WPIAL individual swimming career with a 53.98 in the 100 butterfly to complete a four-year sweep in the event at the WPIAL Class 3A meet at Pitt’s Trees Pool. She posted a 53.85 in 2022 that beat Penn Hills graduate Melanie Buddemeyer’s 1984 record of 54.16, but the sweep was just as sweet.
“I’m very happy with that,” Shao said. “I didn’t taper, so it was a very good swim for me and I’m definitely focused on states, a lot, this year.”
Shao also repeated as champion in the 200 individual medley to give her six individual WPIAL titles.
“I just walked down the stairs (after the medal ceremony) and realized that was my last 100 fly at WPIALs,” Shao said. “As much as I wanted to break my own record, I know it’s going to pay off when I do taper, so I’m very happy with everything that happened at WPIALs.”
No one on either side of the event broke a record on the first day of the two-day meet. Almost, but not quite.
Mt. Lebanon sophomore Sylvia Roy repeated in the 50 freestyle with a time of 22.72 that missed tying Gateway alumna Olivia Livingston’s 2018 mark by 0.01 seconds.
“I was definitely hoping for it,” Roy said. “I was a little closer than I thought I was, though.”
North Allegheny senior and Duquesne recruit Lexi Sundgren had a rough season fighting off a bout of strep, but despite missing nearly a month of training, she was still repeated as 200 freestyle champion.
Sundgren swam a solid 1:51.90, slightly off her 1:49.00 winning time last year, but still good enough to beat freshman Tigers teammate Claire Bacu, by 1.16 seconds.
“I’m very glad and very thankful that I have the opportunity to be healthy again,” Sundgren said. “Even though I didn’t get the time that I wanted, I’m just grateful to have the opportunity to swim.”
On the boys side only one swimmer, Seneca Valley senior and Cornell recruit Haihan Xu, repeated as a WPIAL champion. Xu swam a 1:49.64, lowering his winning time from 2022 by 1.32 seconds, to defeat runner-up Alden Bunker of Franklin Regional by 3.69 seconds.
“I felt great going into it. I felt pretty confident looking at the seed times,” Xu said. “(It was) just getting in, getting the job done and putting the nail in the coffin so to speak.”
Perhaps the biggest upset came in the boys 200 freestyle when fifth-seeded sophomore Christian Dantley came out of Lane 2 to win the event in 1:40.85. He edged seventh-seeded McClellan Clark of Central Catholic, who was in Lane 1, by 1.80 seconds while the top-seed, sophomore Hunter Raymer of Gateway finished seventh.