LEWISBURG — The WPIAL will be well represented in the 12 finals heats Friday evening at the PIAA Class 2A championships at Bucknell.
The first preliminary of the day saw the Northgate 200-yard medley relay snag the No. 3 seed (1:36.81).
Northgate sophomore Greyson McKelvey then scored the No. 3 seed for the final of the 200 freestyle in 1:42.66.
Four of the eight in the championship finalists of the 200 individual medley are from the WPIAL. The quartet is led by top seed Sam Cavanaugh, a senior from Northgate (1:50.90). Laurel Highlands senior Kasey Mahoney (third seed), Knoch senior Adrian Lavorini (fourth seed) and Hampton sophomore Isaac Retsch (sixth seed) also will challenge for gold.
Indiana junior Josh Reed is in the running for the top spot in the 50 free. He is the No. 3 seed (21.17).
Belle Vernon senior Brady Malekovich (21.37) will join Reed in the 50 free title hunt as the No. 6 seed.
Shady Side Academy’s girls 200 medley relay reigned as the top team from the prelims with a time of 1:48.20. Hampton also will be in the final as the No. 3 seed, while Mt. Pleasant is seeded seventh.
The WPIAL will have three in the finals of the 200 free: Shady Side Academy freshman Elyse Brenenborg (fourth seed), Northgate sophomore JoAnn Cook (fifth seed) and Franklin Regional senior Magdalena Hull (sixth seed).
Shady Side Academy junior Ava Jochims will go after her second PIAA 200 IM title in as many years as the No. 1 seed (2:01.76). Hopewell junior Hazel McCowin (fourth seed) and Elizabeth Forward junior Sydney Boyd (sixth seed) also will swim in the final.
Four of the eight entries in Friday evening’s girls 50 free are from the WPIAL. Winchester Thurston senior Thea Siegel leads the pack as the No. 2 seed (23.62).
Joining Siegel are Southmoreland senior Allison Stinnett (fifth seed), Franklin Regional freshman Anna Tomasic (sixth seed) and Oakland Catholic junior Luci Mazurek (seventh seed).
Hampton senior Lainey Sheets owns the top seed (54.39) for the championship heat of the girls 100 fly, and Quaker Valley sophomore Amelia Suhayda (third seed), Derry junior Alexa Darazio (seventh seed) and Franklin Regional junior Aidah Holm (eighth seed) also hope to make an impact in the final.
The girls 200 free relay final has Franklin Regional as the top seed (1:38.74) and Indiana as the No. 4 seed.
The boys consolation and championship finals will be at 4:30 p.m. with the girls finals to follow at 7.
The eight entries in each championship heat will earn medals.
Pennsylvania Cable Network will provide live coverage of each consolation and finals heat.
Before titles are won in swimming, the Class 2A boys champion will be crowned in diving. The winner will be determined after the final dive at about 3:30 p.m.