
Tigers remain perfect with sweep of Mt. Lebanon
by: Bob Orkwis
Just two days after sweeping a South Hills foe on the road, North Allegheny returned home and handled another South Hills rival, defeating Mt. Lebanon, 98-80 for the girls and 99-82 for the boys.
The Tigers got off to a blazing start, largely in part to Lola Malarky. After setting a pool record at Upper St. Clair on Tuesday, Malarky set a pool and school record with a score of 325.80. Juliet Hood (287.35) and Maggie Lapina (262.10) finished second and third respectively for the girls.
WPIAL bronze medalist Malcolm Thompson placed first in the boys diving competition, with Ethan Maravich (307.85) and Anthony Farrah (265.65) taking second and third.
Dani Hinkson, Shelby Sundgren, Eva Ogden, and Claire Bacu won the first swimming event, the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:47.35.
The boys followed suit with Danny Lesinski, Gus Miller, Mason Shantz, and Grant Regule winning in 1:34.35.
Julianne Weaver (1:58.35) and Natalie Reubi (2:00.04) placed first and third in the 200 freestyle, with Zachary Totin (1:44.80) taking second in that event for the boys. Weaver’s time was a personal best.
In the 200 IM, the girls swept with Hinkson (2:08.11), Sundgren (213.11) and Julia Tengowski (2:13.11) leading the way. On the boys’ side, Brendan Yatchenko (1:58.65) and Emmanuel Chu (1:58.81) took second and third.
In the 50 free, three-time gold medalist Sylvia Roy won with a time of 22.93, a pool record. Madden Woycheck placed second at 24.73. Miller (21.46), Regule (21.70) and Dylan Seiford (22.23) were the top trio.
In the 100 fly, Angelina Li (58.54 – personal best) and Ogden (59.48) finished one and two, while Mason Shantz (52.98) and Seiford (55.68) were first and third respectively in the boys event.
Woycheck (54.49 – personal best) and Tengowksi (56.25) placed first and second in the 100 free, while Totin (47.05) and Talon Xing (49.91) finished first and third for the boys.
Bacu continued her dominant season in the 500 free, with a winning time of 4:59.35. A pair of freshman, Evey Masztak (5:19.96) and Macey Wenzel (5:32.01), finished second and third. Nicholas Klein (4:46.85) won for the boys, with Jackson Ross (4:56.30) finishing third.
In the 200 free relays, both Tigers teams were victorious. Weaver, Woycheck, Ogden and Bacu at 1:39.40, and Regule, Shantz, Alex Harbaugh and Totin at 1:28.43.
Roy, who also has won three straight WPIAL gold medals in the 100 back, won with a time of 53.34. The Virginia bound senior also set a pool record in the event. In exhibition, Hinkson (59.48) and Li (59.62) finished second and third. In the boys event, Yatchenko (54.72) and Odin Hsu (56.12) were the top two finishers.
It was exhibition the rest of the way for the Tigers. In the 100 breast, Sundgren (1:07.67) and freshman Eva Zilinski (1:10.98) were the top pair, with Miller (58.39) and Chu (1:01.22) finishing second and third for the boys.
North Allegheny was victorious in the final relays, with Bacu, Weaver, Hinkson and Ogden (3:37.80) and Seiford, Regule, Totin and Miller (3:11.91) winning the respective 400 freestyle events to cap of the win for the Tigers.
It was a pair of seniors who took home the Wright Automotive Players of the Meet for each team.
Lola Malarky, whose diving score was ten points better than Christina Shi’s school record, won for her efforts on the board. And Gus Miller, with wins in the 200 medley and 400 free relays, and great individual victories in the 50 free and 100 breast took the honor for the boys.
For complete meets results, click here.
The meet puts a wrap on the 2024 edition of the swimming and diving season, as the Tigers are next in action on January 3-4, 2025 in the Bucknell Invitational. After road meets at Moon and Bethel Park, North Allegheny is at home next on January 16 when they host Mars.