Boys Swimming: North Season Preview
Once again the North Allegheny boys are the team to beat in WPIAL Class AAA. The Tigers won yet another WPIAL team title last season with 308.5 points to finish ahead of 2011 champion Upper St. Clair who had 261. Nobody in the North Zone should be able to compete with the Tigers on a team basis. North Allegheny graduated Matthew Buerger but it returns his younger brother junior Zachary Buerger. Zachary Buerger along with sophomore Casey Melzer won gold last season in the 200-yard medley relay. It will be tough to match North Allegheny’s depth this year with other PIAA qualifiers returning including sophomore Greg Arnold and junior Sam Rutan.
Pine Richland senior Dominic Giordano took advantage of the graduation of North Allegheny phenom Connor Kuremsky to win the WPIAL diving championship last season. He will be challenged by a trio of divers from the North Zone, North Hills senior Ryan Kennedy, North Hills junior Noah Bostick and Butler junior Levi Cetti.
In Class AA Mars has a small team but it returns a lot of talent with senior juniors Thomas Pierre and Christopher Georgiadis and sophomores Reed McDonough and Francis Folz. Georgiadis is one of the top swimmers in the area and a definite challenger for WPIAL gold in the 200 individual medley and the 500 freestyle.
Shady Side Academy welcomes back seniors Ryan Koul and Thaddeus Ellis and sophomore Brendan Leech, all three were part of a gold medal relay at WPIALs last season. Last season in the WPIAL team standings Hampton finished second just ahead of Shady Side Academy and Mars Area. The trio are expected to contend for the team title with reigning champion Indiana this year.
Pine Richland senior Dominic Giordano took advantage of the graduation of North Allegheny phenom Connor Kuremsky to win the WPIAL diving championship last season. He will be challenged by a trio of divers from the North Zone, North Hills senior Ryan Kennedy, North Hills junior Noah Bostick and Butler junior Levi Cetti.
In Class AA Mars has a small team but it returns a lot of talent with senior juniors Thomas Pierre and Christopher Georgiadis and sophomores Reed McDonough and Francis Folz. Georgiadis is one of the top swimmers in the area and a definite challenger for WPIAL gold in the 200 individual medley and the 500 freestyle.
Shady Side Academy welcomes back seniors Ryan Koul and Thaddeus Ellis and sophomore Brendan Leech, all three were part of a gold medal relay at WPIALs last season. Last season in the WPIAL team standings Hampton finished second just ahead of Shady Side Academy and Mars Area. The trio are expected to contend for the team title with reigning champion Indiana this year.
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