Alle-Kiski Valley swimmers hope to make splash at USA Eastern Zones meets
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Numerous age-group swimmers, including those from the Alle-Kiski Valley, hope to make a splash for Allegheny Mountain Swimming this weekend at the USA Swimming Eastern Zones long course championship meets in Buffalo, N.Y., (ages 15 and up) and Richmond, Va. (14 and under).
Many of them posted qualifying times for the zone championships at the AMS Junior Olympic Championships on July 22-25 in Canton, Ohio.
Kiski Area rising junior Levi Hansen was one of the standouts from the Alle-Kiski Valley to post a victory at the JO meet.
A WPIAL medalist in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles and a state qualifier last season, Hansen represented the Cavalier Swim Club and captured the title in the men’s 15 and over 1,500-meter freestyle with a time of 17 minutes, 8.25 seconds.
“I felt I did OK for being high in yardage (not rested),” said Hansen, who had qualified for the zone championships in Buffalo at several meets this season prior to the JO meet.
“I felt I accomplished what I wanted to with my swims, and I saw what I needed to keep working on for events where I am tapered, like senior zones.”
Swimming eight events at the JO meet, Hansen added runner-up finishes in the 400 free and the 400 individual medley and a third in the 200 free against many of his rivals from the high school season.
“The competition was great, and there were some really fast swims at all levels, like everyone expected,” Hansen said. “It’s always one of the biggest meets of the season. It was a great atmosphere for swimming.”
The JO meet usually is held at Pitt’s Trees Pool, but covid restrictions forced the meet to be moved to Canton. Last year’s meet was canceled.
Hundreds of swimmers from age groups 10-and-under to 15-and-over took to the pool in more than 130 events.
Sarver’s Elyse Brenenborg, 11, representing Kittanning’s Richard G. Snyder YMCA, claimed three titles in the girls 10-and-under division.
She placed first in the 100 free (1:11.67), 200 free (2:31.94) and 400 free (5:10.95).
Elyse’s brother, Ian, 9, came away with several medals at the JO meet and, with his sister, earned qualifying nods to the zone championships in Richmond.
The Eastern Zones championship meets bring together the top USA Swimming competitors from clubs and regions throughout Pennsylvania, as well as Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Virginia, Maine, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland.
Fox Chapel residents Tuuli Airik, 10, and Delaney O’Toole, 10, representing the Fox Chapel Killer Whales, brought home a combined five victories from the JO meet in the girls 10-and-under age group.
O’Toole won the 50 breaststroke (39.62), 100 breaststroke (1:29.48) and the 100 butterfly (1:14.58). Airik claimed the 50 backstroke (39.04) and 100 backstroke (1:24.76).
Area victories continued as Fox Chapel’s Ellie Lange, 10, representing the Racer-X club team, produced wins in the 10-and-under girls 200 IM (3:01.92) and 50 free (31.75).
The potential is there for many future age-group battles between Lange and the likes of O’Toole, Airik and Brenenborg.
Pittsburgh Elite Aquatic Club placed first overall in the JO meet final team standings with 1,328 points.
Each team score was a combination of points scored by both its boys and girls swimmers.
Steel City Aquatics was second (677 points), followed by Racer-X (625), Allegheny North Swim Club (623) and Richard G. Snyder YMCA (612).
Results from the Allegheny Mountain Swimming Junior Olympic Long Course Championships are here.