NA dives nail state victory
Tigers’ claim second title in 3 years
North Allegheny has mastered the art of taking a victory dive into Pitt’s Trees Pool.
That’s what happens when a team wins a record 15 consecutive WPIAL Class 3A girls team championships.
Butdespite all those district titles and individual championships, the Tigers’ only state championship in that run camein 2021. Until now.
Despite not having an individual champion, North Allegheny racked up 194 points to beat Hatboro-Horsham by 18 to win the second team title in three years. It is the eighth state championship in school history and seventh for coach Corky Semler, who returned to take over the team last season.
North Allegheny’s best individual finishes in the swimming part of the meet came on the second day when senior Lexi Sundgren finished third in the 500-yard freestyle and junior Natalie Sens was third inthe 100 breaststroke.
“We were a little off this weekend. We were not as sharp as we were at WPIALs two weeks ago,” Semler said. “They had to rise above their disappointments to put up solid swims… and I have to say we’re extremely pleased to be the state champs on what forus was an off weekend.”
Where North Allegheny did have its advantage was off the 1-meter springboard where senior Christina Shi won her third consecutive state title, sophomore Lola Malarky finished third and sophomore Juliet Hood was seventh.
Those 48 points proved to be the difference between first and fourth place.
While the North Allegheny girls took home the team crown, the only WPIAL individual to win a gold medal in the boys or girls meets on the final day was Mt. Lebanon sophomore Sylvia Roy, who won her first state title in the 100backstroke.
Roy was seeded first in the morning preliminary heats, 0.02 seconds ahead of State College senior and 2022 runner-up Jade Castro. Roy then beat Castro by 0.50 seconds.
“I could see the other girls outof the corner of my eye, but I knew I had to finish it off and seal the deal,” Roy said.
Roy was sixth in the 50 freestyle and fifth in the 100 back stroke in 2022. This year, in addition to her win in the 100 backstroke, she was the runner-upin the 50 freestyle.
“I think with the nerves and all the excitement of states, I wanted it really bad,” Roy said.
Seneca Valley senior and Cornell recruit Haihan Xu had the best finish of any WPIAL competitor on the boys side. Het finished second inthe 100 breaststroke.