Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) held its WPIAL/UPMC Sports Medicine Boys’ Swimming Championships this past Thursday and Friday at Joseph C. Trees Pool on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. Over the two days, there were two championship meet records that fell, a student-athlete joining the historic four-time event champion club, and team champions North Allegheny and Indiana successfully defending their titles in Class 3A and Class 2A, respectively.
North Allegheny is now a 19-time WPIAL boys’ swimming & diving team champion, ranking second in league history behind Bethel Park’s 28. The Tigers have won three consecutive at Class 3A, with their trophy case now featuring championships from 1980, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Indiana became a seven-time WPIAL boys’ swimming & diving team champion and moves into a tie for sixth all-time with Connellsville, trailing only Bethel Park (28), North Allegheny (19), Clairton (12), Shady Side Academy (10), and Mt. Lebanon (9). The Indians previously won in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2019, 2020, and 2024.
At Class 2A, Indiana senior Preston Kessler became a four-time champion in the 100 and 200 freestyles, joining a group of seven other student-athletes since 1980 that were four-time champions in their event. That group consists of Hampton’s Matt Harrigan (200 individual medley, 1994-97), Neshannock’s Connor McBeth (50 freestyle, 2018-21), North Allegheny’s Connor Kuremsky (1-meter dive, 2008-11), Shady Side Academy’s Brett Murphy (100 freestyle, 2001-04), and Upper St. Clair’s Kyle Dudzinski (100 backstroke, 2008-11) and Josh Matheny (100 breaststroke, 2018-21).
Additionally, Central Catholic senior McClellan Clark became a three-time gold medalist in the 500 freestyle, while five other student-athletes earned their second title in a specific event – Fox Chapel senior Owen Howell (200 individual medley), Mars senior Luke Lamb (50 freestyle, 100 backstroke), Mt. Pleasant seniors Joseph Gardner (100 breaststroke) and David Mutter (100 butterfly), and Upper St. Clair junior Nazar Zoukovski (100 freestyle).
Each event champion and additional student-athletes and relay teams move onto the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Boys’ Swimming & Diving Championships, which will be held on March 12-15 at Kinney Natatorium on the campus of Bucknell University.
CLASS 3A RECAP
North Allegheny won its third consecutive Class 3A team championship with a point total of 395.5 – besting runner-up Upper St. Clair by 168.5 points. The Tigers carried 45 points from the previous weekend’s WPIAL Diving Championships, and garnered three gold medals (100 butterfly, 200 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay), two silvers, and a trio of bronze medals over the two-day event.
Upper St. Clair struck gold first in the 200 medley relay, as the team of juniors Ben Whiteford and Nazar Zoukovski, and seniors Griffin Tomsheck and Liam Tomb finished in 1:32.68 – just 0.09 ahead of runner-up North Allegheny1:32.77. Mt. Lebanon earned bronze with a time of 1:35.10.
Central Catholic senior McClellan Clark won his first of two gold medals from the championships in the 200 freestyle, touching the wall in 1:39.17 – 0.77 seconds ahead of runner-up Zoukovski at 1:39.94. Fox Chapel senior Christian Dantey finished third with a time of 1:40.08.
Fox Chapel senior Owen Howell defended his 200 individual medley crown, clocking in at 1:51.40 to pace the field by 1.05 seconds. Mt. Lebanon sophomore Rinzen Sherpa finished second with a time of 1:52.45, and North Allegheny junior Danny Lesinski earned third after touching the wall in 1:52.51.
Mars senior Luke Lamb took home the 50 freestyle gold with a time of 20.43 seconds, pairing his 2024 Class 2A title from North Catholic. Bethel Park sophomore Jackson Edwards finished second with a mark of 20.51 seconds, and North Allegheny senior Grant Regule took third with a time of 20.80 seconds.
North Allegheny senior Gus Miller won the 100 butterfly with a time of 49.71 seconds – 0.66 seconds ahead the runner-up, Norwin senior Tyler Turgeon at 50.37 seconds. Whiteford collected third with a time of 50.45 seconds.
North Allegheny’s quartet of Regule, Miller, and juniors Mason Shantz and Zachary Totin finished the first day with a win in the 200 freestyle relay, clocking in at 1:23.01 – 2.47 seconds ahead of runner-up Greater Latrobe at 1:25.48. Upper St. Clair took third with a mark of 1:25.55.
Zoukovski became a two-time champion in the 100 freestyle to begin the second day of championships, touching the wall in 45.38 seconds – 0.52 seconds ahead of runner-up Regule at 45.90 seconds. Totin gave the Tigers two of the top three spots on the podium with a time of 46.31 seconds.
Clark won his third 500 freestyle gold medal in WPIAL championship meet record fashion, breaking his own mark from a year ago with a time of 4:25.06 – 0.20 seconds faster than 2024. Following him on the leaderboard was Kiski Area senior Justin Tucker with a time of 4:32.64, while Shaler senior Noah Lang took third with a time of 4:36.47.
Lamb added another gold in the 100 backstroke, matching his Class 2A championship in the event with a time of 47.86 seconds – 1.49 seconds faster than runner-up Miller at 49.35 seconds. Whiteford placed third with a time of 49.65 seconds.
Greater Latrobe junior Chris Heese captured the gold in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 55.94 seconds. The top three spots were separated by a total of 0.04 seconds, with Dantey placing second at 55.95 seconds and teammate Howell finishing in 55.98 seconds to claim bronze.
North Allegheny completed its championship performance with a win in the 400 freestyle relay, as Lesinski, Regule, Totin, and sophomore Alex Harbaugh touched the wall in 3:06.32 – 2.19 seconds ahead of runner-up Greater Latrobe at 3:08.51. Central Catholic took bronze with a mark of 3:09.19.
Following North Allegheny and Upper St. Clair (227.0) on the team leaderboard was Mt. Lebanon (210.0), Fox Chapel (204.5), Central Catholic (182.0), Bethel Park (158.0), Greater Latrobe (152.0), Franklin Regional (124.0), Peters Township (108.0), and Kiski Area (100.0). A total of 24 teams had at least one student-athlete or relay that scored a team point.
CLASS 2A RECAP
Indiana made it back-to-back Class 2A team championships with a point total of 322.5 – topping runner-up Mt. Pleasant by 61.5 points. The Indians began the first day with 30 points from the WPIAL Diving Championships, then added five gold medals (200 freestyle, 50 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay, 100 freestyle, 400 freestyle relay) and one silver medal over the remainder of the championships.
Mt. Pleasant started the swimming championships with a win in the 200 medley relay, as the team of seniors Seth Painter, Joseph Gardner, and David Mutter, and junior Gunnar Probst posted a time of 1:35.08 – 2.99 second quicker than runner-up Hampton. Shady Side Academy took third with a time of 1:38.56.
Indiana senior Preston Kessler began his history-making week with his fourth gold medal in the 200 freestyle, winning with a time of 1:40.83 – 0.50 seconds ahead of the time of 1:41.33, set by runner-up Shady Side Academy senior Soren Cooper. Northgate freshman Greyson McKelvey took third with a time of 1:44.11.
Northgate junior Sam Cavanaugh garnered the 200 individual medley title with a time of 1:52.95, finishing 0.53 seconds ahead of runner-up Gardner at 1:53.54. Knoch junior Adrian Lavorini earned bronze with a mark of 1:55.84.
Indiana sophomore Joshua Reed won gold in the 50 freestyle with a time of 21.38 seconds, clearing runner-up Probst’s time of 21.89 seconds by 0.51 seconds. Blackhawk senior Caleb Phillips finished third with a time of 22.16 seconds.
Mutter won his second 100 butterfly gold with a WPIAL championship meet record time of 48.01 seconds, breaking his own record of 48.30 seconds set last year. Hampton senior Chris Belch was 1.48 seconds behind him with a time of 49.49 seconds, and his teammate Connor Sutterlin took third with a mark of 51.61 seconds.
Indiana ended the first day with a win in the 200 freestyle relay, as Reed, Kessler, and seniors Matthew Blystone and Joey Margita clocked in at 1:25.92 – topping runner-up Mt. Pleasant by 4.30 seconds at 1:30.22. Blackhawk placed third with a time of 1:31.60.
Kessler became the first four-time champion in two separate events since at least 1980 with his win in the 100 freestyle, claiming the crown with a time of 44.91 seconds – 2.38 seconds ahead of teammate Reed’s time of 47.29. Probst placed third with a mark of 48.85 seconds.
Mutter earned his second title of the championships with a win in the 500 freestyle, touching the wall in 4:34.54 to best runner-up Cooper’s time of 4:36.69 by 2.15 seconds. Cavanaugh collected bronze with a time of 4:39.80.
Belch won gold in the 100 backstroke with a time of 50.90 seconds, topping runner-up South Fayette senior Josh Grimenstein’s time of 51.37 seconds by 0.47 seconds. Chartiers Valley senior Dawson Lee placed third with a mark of 54.18.
Gardner returned to the top of the 100 breaststroke podium for the first time since 2023 with a time of 55.77 seconds, besting the field by 0.69 seconds. West Allegheny junior Alex Aivalotis’ time of 56.46 seconds took home second, and Lurel Highlands junior Kasey Mahoney placed third with a mark of 57.15 seconds.
Indiana completed the two-day event with a win in the 400 freestyle relay, as Margita, Reed, Kessler, and senior Rey Nunez posted a time of 3:08.34 – 7.69 seconds ahead of runner-up Hampton. Shady Side Academy’s time of 3:16.45 was good for third.
Freeport sophomore Isaac Barton won gold in the para 50 and 100 freestyle with respective times of 26.34 seconds and 58.24 seconds.
Following Indiana and Mt. Pleasant (261.0) on the team leaderboard was Hampton (231.0), Shady Side Academy (200.0), Northgate (197.0), Quaker Valley (172.0), South Fayette (112.0), Blackhawk (93.0), Belle Vernon (90.0), and Elizabeth Forward (84.5). A total of 29 teams had at least one student-athlete or relay that scored a team point.
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