By: John Grupp Saturday, December 7, 2024 | 11:01 AM Andrew Palla | For TribLive Dani Hinkson from North Allegheny competes in the 200-yard IM at the WPIAL Class 3A swimming championships on February 29 at Pitt’s Trees Pool. This season, the North Allegheny swim team has designed T-shirts that echo a well-known Vince Lombardi […]
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Saturday, December 7, 2024 | 11:01 AM
Andrew Palla | For TribLive
Dani Hinkson from North Allegheny competes in the 200-yard IM at the WPIAL Class 3A swimming championships on February 29 at Pitt’s Trees Pool.
This season, the North Allegheny swim team has designed T-shirts that echo a well-known Vince Lombardi saying.
“If you pursue perfection, you may find yourself among the stars of excellence,” remarked Tori Tieppo, a member of a talented junior cohort at NA. “You aim for the highest, and you will inevitably end up in a good place.”
The prospects look more than promising for the Tigers to secure gold medals that correspond with their custom shirts this season.
The NA girls’ swim team boasts an impressive record, having clinched 16 straight WPIAL titles, positioning them as the second-longest streak in any sport in league history, trailing only the Bethel Park boys swimming team, which has 20 titles (1981-2000).
The two-time defending PIAA Class 3A champion NA girls’ team returns seven swimmers and three divers who participated in state competition last year and are solid favorites to capture yet another WPIAL title.
“The girls are eager to compete,” said coach Patrick Wenzel. “Naturally, as the defending champions, some pressure is inevitable. We simply try to alleviate it and focus on what is within our control.”
While they have graduated Division I swimmers Natalie Sens (George Washington) and Greta Mott (George Mason), the Tigers have ample returning starters and emerging talent to uphold their legacy.
Junior Claire Bacu, the reigning WPIAL Class 3A champion in the 500 freestyle, alongside classmate Dani Hinkson, who triumphed in the WPIAL 200 IM last season. Tieppo secured fourth in both the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke, while fellow junior Eva Ogden contributed to two WPIAL title-winning relay teams. The junior lineup is further strengthened by breaststroker Shelby Sundgren and freestyle competitors Madden Woycheck and Emma Dietz.
“Our junior class is large and robust,” said Wenzel. “We lost a couple of very strong athletes, but we aim to sustain a high level of competition this year.”
Talent extends beyond the juniors; senior sprinter Julianne Weaver, sophomore distance swimmer Julia Tengowski, and promising freshman Evey Masztak provide the Tigers with a powerful and diverse roster capable of excelling in both dual meets and championship formats.
A dynamic diving program enhances the Tigers’ chances as well. Seniors Lola Malarky and Juliet Hood, along with junior Maggie Lapina, clinched the top three spots at the WPIAL diving championships last season and all three ranked in the state’s top 10.
“We are extremely grateful for the level of skill we have in diving,” Wenzel remarked.
The NA boys’ team, with two consecutive WPIAL titles and 16 in the last 19 years, is also anticipated to perform well. Senior Grant Regule is the current champion in the WPIAL Class 3A 50 freestyle, and senior Gus Miller was the runner-up in the 200 IM. A junior trio, including Zachary Totin (third in the 100 butterfly), Danny Lesinski, and Dylan Seiford, formed part of a WPIAL championship 200 free relay team.
“The boys’ team is incredibly motivated to prove their potential this year,” Wenzel stated. “They’ve put in significant training over the summer and are eager to keep pace with our girls.”
Even with the WPIAL team title seemingly within reach, the North Allegheny girls are driven by personal aspirations.
Bacu seeks to break the school record in the 500 freestyle (4:51.80), while Hinkson, recognized as one of the top butterfliers in the WPIAL, aims to qualify for the PIAA finals in the 200 IM after narrowly missing it by three-hundredths of a second last season, finishing 17th. They both readied for the season by participating in the USA Swimming Futures Championships from July 25-28 in Richmond, Va.
Tieppo acknowledged the weight of the WPIAL title streak but emphasized it does not weigh heavily on their minds.
“We understand the legacy we uphold, and we carry that with us as we train,” she remarked. “We maintain our diligence, knowing it will lead to something significant.”
Golden years
Below are the longest championship streaks in WPIAL history.
Team streak years
• Bethel Park boys swimming, 20, 1981-2000
• North Allegheny girls swimming, 16, 2009-present
• Burrell wrestling, 15, 2007-21
• Sewickley Academy boys tennis, 15, 2004-18
Tags: North Allegheny
