Two Cornell High School swimmers medaled at the WPIAL Swimming Championships, with Noah Pickett finishing second in the 100 butterfly and Mimi Chamberlain fifth in the 200 individual medley. Other notable performances came from swimmers from Carlynton and Moon.
More than two dozen competitors will represent the West Hills at the WPIAL Swimming Championships Thursday and Friday, Feb. 26-27, at the University of Pittsburgh's Trees Pool. Cornell, Carlynton, Moon and Montour will be represented, with Carlynton Evey Fahnestock and Cornell's Mimi Chamberlain and Noah Pickett looking to medal again.
Three West Hills high school wrestlers won gold at the WPIAL championships: Kristen Walzer of Montour, and Haley Smarsh, and Cael Yanek, both from Moon. Others included Liam Costa, who placed second, and three others who finished third or fourth, all advancing to the PIAA Regionals.
Saturday's WPIAL Girls Wrestling Championships at Mt. Lebanon High School will feature West Hills athletes Kristen Walzer and Haley Smarsh, both seeking to defend their titles. Class 2A and 3A boys tournaments will get underway Friday and continue Saturday. Carlynton, Montour and Moon wrestlers will partcipate.
Three West Hills wrestlers excelled at the WPIAL Class 3A Southern Section meet, with Cael Yanek and Liam Costa of Moon Area and Montour's Jacob Chacon winning their weight classes. Moon had a record 10 qualifiers for the upcoming WPIAL Championships. Four Montour wrestlers qualified in 3A as did one from Carlynton in the Class 2A event.
Five wrestlers from West Hills are top seeds in Saturday's WPIAL Class 3A Southern Section meet. Ranked No. 1 in their respective weight classes are Moon Area’s Cael Yanek, Liam Costa and Michael Olszewski and Montour's Jacob Chacon and Rook Smith. Each weight class's top six will advance to the WPIAL Tournament later this month.
AJ Buford scored crucial points in overtime to lead Moon Area to a 48-45 victory over Montour, securing third place in WPIAL Class 5A Section 4. Montour also advanced to the playoffs despite the loss. Bishop Canevin won its Class 3A section outright while Our Lady of the Sacred Heart earned a share of its Class 2A section title.