Karen Kadilak stories, Page 9

Quaker Valley graduate Matt Kwalick took again on a lot for the Westminster men’s swimming team. “I really want to specialize in one or two events, but it is so hard to do that when you swim the (individual medley),” said Kwalick, a junior. “I think the saying is, ‘A...

The North Allegheny boys swimming team got the three-peat at the PIAA Class AAA championship meet March 15-16 at Bucknell with some new faces. “The path to a state title is always different,” senior and Pitt recruit Jerry Chen said. “We lost some big point scorers and relay members, but...

Hempfield swimmer Gavin Mayo is among favorites in the boys 50-yard freestyle at the PIAA Class AAA championship meet Friday and Saturday at Bucknell, but also might shine in another event. “Backstroke is an event Gavin has been playing with over the last few years,” Hempfield coach Kevin Clougherty said....

Four Westmoreland County swimmers are among individual favorites at the PIAA Class AA championship meet Wednesday and Thursday at Bucknell. On the girls side, Mt. Pleasant junior Heather Gardner is seeded first in the 50-yard freestyle (23.24 seconds) and second in the 100 breaststroke (one minute, 3.92 seconds) after earning...

Quaker Valley swimming coach Alexis Glenn knew from the beginning of the season she had an amazing swimmer in Isabel Huang. She became even more convinced of that after the freshman earned two gold medals at the WPIAL Class AA championship meet Feb. 28-March 1 at Pitt. “I was surprised...

Despite their small size, the Penn-Trafford boys and girls swimming teams will be well represented at the PIAA Class AAA championship meet March 15-16 at Bucknell. Seniors Paige Kalik, the girls third seed, and Logan Sherwin, the boys fourth seed, are among favorites in 1-meter diving. Kalik and Sherwin placed...

The Norwin girls swimming team earned no medals at the WPIAL Class AAA championship meet Feb. 28-March 1 at Pitt, but it probably is just a matter of time before the Knights do. First-year Norwin coach Doug Watson believes all the young squad lacks is confidence. “(We had) lot of...

Fox Chapel rower Samuel Gilmore worked hard over the winter, and it paid off at the Erg in the ‘Burgh Indoor Rowing Championships Feb. 23 at North Allegheny. Gilmore, a senior, took first place in the men’s varsity final in a career-best 6 minutes, 37.6 seconds over 2,000 meters. Daniel...

Led by four top seeds, the North Allegheny boys swimming team is a serious contender for its third consecutive PIAA Class AAA title March 15-16 at Bucknell. Defending champions senior Jack Wright, 200-yard freestyle (1 minute, 37.48 seconds), junior Rick Mihm, 500 freestyle (4:29.29), and the 200 medley relay (1:31)...

Moon rugby player Isabella Sinatra will be getting a taste of international competition. Sinatra, a senior, has been selected for the Midwest Girls Thunderbirds team that will tour Ireland for 10 days in August. It will be her first trip to Europe. “I hope to gain more knowledge and playing...

Penn-Trafford senior Paige Kalik is headed to the PIAA Class AAA girls diving championship March 15 at Bucknell for the third consecutive season, and this time she will have company. Senior Logan Sherwin qualified for his first boys championship March 16 after coming close the past two seasons. “I’m super...

Franklin Regional senior Mason Fishell hopes to do better at the PIAA Class AAA boys diving championship meet March 16 at Bucknell than he did the last time. Fishell (492.3 points) placed fifth at the WPIAL championship Feb. 23 at North Allegheny for the final spot. Fishell also finished fifth...

Hempfield senior Gavin Mayo looks forward to showing off the form that made him a Division I recruit Thursday and Friday at the WPIAL Class AAA swimming championships at Pitt’s Trees Pool. Mayo, who will swim at North Carolina next season, is the top seed (21.29 seconds) in what he...

Quaker Valley junior Ben Kimmy was a bit overwhelmed but rose to the occasion in his first C.R.A.S.H.-B. Sprints World Indoor Rowing Championship on Feb. 17 at Boston University. Kimmy, 16, improved his time to 6 minutes, 32.2 seconds to place 16th of 86 in the junior men 14-18 age...

Quaker Valley’s Simon Iwanonkiw will be among favorites at the WPIAL Class AA diving championship meet Friday at South Park, giving the Quakers (3-6 overall, 3-4 in Section 2-AA) a much-needed lift going into the WPIAL swimming championship next week at Pitt. Iwanonkiw, a Sewickley Academy sophomore who competes for...

After sweeping titles at the county meet, Penn-Trafford seniors Paige Kalik and Logan Sherwin look forward to doing the same at the WPIAL Class AAA diving championship on Saturday at North Allegheny. Kalik (324.90) and Sherwin (352.85) topped WPIAL Class AAA in girls 1-meter six dives and boys 1-meter six...

After achieving athletic success, North Allegheny senior Ethan James has earned a huge academic honor. James, 18, of McCandless, is a candidate for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program announced recently by the U.S. Department of Education. James helped the Tiger boys cross country team to WPIAL and PIAA Class AAA...

Beth Bowman of Hampton is shining as a novice rower. Bowman, a member of the Pittsburgh Rowing Club in Robinson and the third member of her family to row, earned a bronze medal in the Lightweight Veteran Masters Women “A” 50-59 age group at the Pittsburgh Indoor Rowing Championship regatta...

Franklin Park auto racer Kris Wright recently faced the biggest test of his career. Wright, 24, competed in the Rolex 24 at Daytona race Jan. 24-27 in Daytona Beach, Fla. His first endurance race, it lasted 24 hours over two days at the Daytona International Speedway circuit. Wright drove the...

After a string of second- and third-place finishes, Franklin Park junior tennis player Ava Catanzarite ended the year on top. Catanzarite, 16, and her partner, Avery Durham, of South Carolina, took first place in girls 16 doubles at the U.S. Tennis Association National Winter Championships on Dec. 29-Jan. 4 at...

North Allegheny graduates Mason Gonzalez and Andrew Zhang have made smooth transitions to Division I swimming. Gonzalez (Stanford) and Zhang (Northwestern), both freshmen, rank among their teams’ fastest performers. Gonzalez, the reigning PIAA Class AAA champion in the boys 50-yard freestyle and 100 freestyle and WPIAL champion in the 50...