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Returning champs, big meets ahead: What to know before the District 10 swimming season

mike copper, erie times-news
·5 min read

The Cathedral Prep boys swimming and diving team will have a new coach in its attempt to repeat as the PIAA's best Class 2A program.

That coach is someone who also is familiar with state title-winning teams.

Sonya Whitman was in charge of the former Villa Maria aquatic program for its last 11 seasons. She watched the Victors finish first for the small-school portion of the 2019 and 2021 state meets.

Last season's boys all-stars: Meet the 2022 Times-News District 10 Boys Swimming and Diving All-Stars, region all-stars

The Catholic Diocese of Erie closed Villa at the conclusion of the 2021-22 academic year, merging students from Villa with Prep.

Whitman will remain in charge of Prep's inaugural girls team, which is scheduled to debut during the school's invitational on Saturday. However, she also opted to take the head coaching position for the Rambler boys when Mike Doyle resigned to take over as athletic director for the diocese's entire school system.

Doyle, a 2000 Prep graduate, coached the Ramblers to state team titles in 2019 and this past March.

200 free relay returnees

Prep's success during last season's PIAA 2A meet wasn't limited to its boys' team championship.

The Ramblers' 200-yard medley relay finished first in that event. Villa also won that competition during the program's last appearance of any kind.

Prep's boys and girls return three swimmers from each of those victorious relays.

Charles Agresti graduated as the freestyle anchor for the Rambler boys, who posted the low time of 1 minute, 34.88 seconds. Due back, though, are seniors Mitchell Bradford (backstroke) and Aidan Levis (butterfly), and sophomore Matthew Hinman (breaststroke).

Bradford was named the district's male swimmer/diver of the year.

State title-winning relays: Cathedral Prep, Villa Maria sweep PIAA Class 2A 200 medley relay titles

Villa graduate Megan Maholic, who's in the early weeks of her freshman season at the University of South Carolina, was last season's district's female swimmer/diver of the year.

Villa Maria's Haley Palmer swims the 100-yard freestyle at the District 10 Championships at the S.P.IR.E Institute pool on March 5 in Geneva, Ohio.
Villa Maria's Haley Palmer swims the 100-yard freestyle at the District 10 Championships at the S.P.IR.E Institute pool on March 5 in Geneva, Ohio.

That honor was aided in part by her opening leg of the Victors' state-winning 200 medley relay (1:46.65). The backstroke specialist was followed by Kyan Snider-Mills (breaststroke), Maria Costa (butterfly) and Haley Palmer (freestyle).

That trio is back as the backbone for the Ramblers' first-time girls team.

Palmer, a senior, recently signed a national letter of intent to compete for Division I Cleveland State. Snider-Mills, also a senior, has verbally committed to Division III John Carroll University in suburban Cleveland.

College choices: Cathedral Prep, Conneaut athletes latest in D-10 to confirm their schools

Warren one class again

Swimming is a rare varsity sport where it's possible for girls and boys at one school to be classified at different levels.

That was the case for Warren during recent seasons. The Dragons were a Class 3A program for boys and Class 2A for girls.

That won't be the case for this season and next, as the PIAA classified Warren 2A for each. It was the only change made for district schools.

McDowell, Erie High and Meadville are the only district schools that will compete at the 3A level.

McDowell's Christopher Zhou won the 100-yard breaststroke competition at the District 10 championships at the S.P.I.R.E. Institute's natatorium on March 5 in Geneva, Ohio.
McDowell's Christopher Zhou won the 100-yard breaststroke competition at the District 10 championships at the S.P.I.R.E. Institute's natatorium on March 5 in Geneva, Ohio.

The McDowell boys welcome back seniors Christopher Zhou and Nicolin Pierce. They were listed among last season's all-district performers and meet champions at the S.P.I.R.E. Institute in Geneva, Ohio.

The Olympic-style natatorium returns as host for the swimming portion of this season's meet on March 3-4. The diving competition takes place at McDowell Intermediate High School's pool the weekend before.

Last season's D-10 all-stars returning

There are several returning members of the Times-News District 10 girls swimming and diving teams. Among those are reigning region swimmers of the year in Franklin senior Alaina Brown (Region 1) and General McLane senior Catrina Miller (Region 2).

Last season's girls all-stars: Meet the 2022 Times-News District 10 Girls Swimming and Diving All-Stars, region all-stars

Other non-seniors listed on last season's All-D-10 team include the following: Fairview's Addison Mang, Emerald Rucks, Annie Walker and Abby Zablotny; Meadville's Maura Bloss, Brielle Cheney, Julianne Gowetski and Jaidyn Jordan; Cathedral Prep's Costa, Palmer and Snider-Mills; and Slippery Rock's Gracie Olshanski.

On the boys side, reigning D-10 and Region 3 swimmer/diver of the year Bradford is back among last season's all-D-10 team members, along with his Prep teammates Levis, Hinman and Colin Troutman.

Evan Kemp competes in the 100-yard a backstroke at North East High School on Feb. 10. Kemp is the reigning Region 2 swimmer of the year.
Evan Kemp competes in the 100-yard a backstroke at North East High School on Feb. 10. Kemp is the reigning Region 2 swimmer of the year.

Others listed as possible returnees from last season's All-D-10 boys list include the following: McDowell's Zhou, Nicolin Pierce, Camden Pierce and Evan Teeter; Meadville's Isaac Johnson and Charlie Minor; North East's Evan Kemp, the reigning Region 2 swimmer of the year; Fairview's Aari Fox; Sharon's Mark Cattron, the reigning Region 1 swimmer of the year; and Warren's Hugh Harrison.

Nicolin Pierce, McDowell
Nicolin Pierce, McDowell

Region alignments

Region alignments for the 21 boys and 21 girls District 10 swimming and diving teams for 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons:

  • Region 1 (2A): Farrell, Franklin, Grove City, Oil City, Sharon, Slippery Rock, Titusville

  • Region 2 (2A): Corry, Fairview, General McLane, Girard, Harbor Creek, Iroquois, North East, Union City

  • Region 3 (2A, 3A): Mercyhurst Prep (2A), Cathedral Prep (2A), Warren (2A), Erie (3A), McDowell (3A), Meadville (3A)

Swimming/diving dates to remember

December

Saturday: Cathedral Prep Invitational

15: Harbor Creek at Fairview

17: Viking Invitational at Cleveland State

January

14: North East Invitational (girls)

21: Iroquois Invitational (boys)

26: Cathedral Prep at McDowell; Fairview at Harbor Creek

February

13: McDowell at Cathedral Prep

24: District 10 diving meet at McDowell Intermediate High School

March

3-4: District 10 swimming meet at S.P.I.R.E. Institute, Geneva, Ohio

15-16: PIAA Class 2A swimming/diving meet at Bucknell University, Lewisburg

17-18: PIAA Class 3A swimming/diving meet at Bucknell University, Lewisburg

Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNcopper.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: District 10 high school swimming: 2022-23 key dates, region alignments