Trib HSSN Girls Swimmer of the Week: Laurel Highlands’ Elizabeth Thomas

By: Michael Love
Friday, January 31, 2020 | 5:28 PM

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At last year’s WPIAL Class AA swimming championships at Pitt’s Trees Pool, Elizabeth Thomas was one of two freshmen to medal in the girls 100-yard backstroke. Quaker Valley’s Isabel Huang captured the WPIAL title, and Thomas, a Laurel Highlands product, placed fourth with a time of 1 minute, 1.58 seconds and qualified for states.

With that first year of high school experience under her belt, Thomas, first-year Fillies coach Casey Dascenzo said, is making her mark and looking forward to taking that next step at WPIALs and beyond. “She’s a very calm and relaxed swimmer,” Dascenzo said. “She doesn’t let the pressure of a big swim get to her. She gets in the water, does her thing, and what happens, happens. “We already have her goal times for WPIALs. She’s definitely happy with her times now, and she’s in a good spot to go even faster at WPIALs. She has that confidence to where she will be well prepared for her WPIAL swims.” Thomas owns the top WPIAL girls Class AA time this year in the 100 backstroke. She recorded a 57.80, bettering her own school record, Wednesday evening in a Section 4 meet against Indiana. “She takes it out very aggressively,” Dascenzo said. “Her underwaters are phenomenal. Off her start, she could go almost the length of the pool underwater.” 

Thomas’ previous best time this year in the 100 back came in a section meet Jan. 17 against Derry. She swam a 58.46 and edged Ella Menear, a freshman independent swimmer from Mapletown. Menear clocked a 59.29 that evening and is No. 2 in the 100 back on the latest WPIAL performance list released Monday. Thomas and Menear have raced several times before and are expected to battle again in the fast heat at WPIALs. “That really helps both because they know each other’s talents,” Dascenzo said. “They push each other to better their times.”

The top five swims this season in the Class AA girls 100 back have come from either freshmen or sophomores. SaraJo Gardner, a freshman from Mt. Pleasant, is No. 3 on the performance list (1:00.22), followed by Huang (1:00.41) and Mt. Pleasant freshman Reegan Brown (1:00.90). Dascenzo said Thomas, who also swims as a member of the Fox Chapel Killer Whales club team, still is deciding on which WPIAL first-day individual event to enter. “She swam very strong in the (200 individual medley) against Indiana,” Dascenzo said. “She’s qualified in a number of events. She has options, which is nice.”

 

 

2019-2020 Mustang & Fillie Swim & Dive Teams

 

2018-2019 Mustang & Fillie Swim & Dive Teams

 

Trib HSSN Girls Swimmer of the Week: Laurel Highlands’ Maria Mrosko

By: Michael Love
Thursday, January 17, 2019 | 9:48 PM

Maria Mrosko made her WPIAL debut last year as a freshman and was able to hold her own in the thick of the girls Class AAA 200-yard individual medley.The Laurel Highlands sophomore placed fifth in the event and also represented the Mustangs at the state championship meet.After an offseason of work to improve many facets of her swim performances, Mrosko is at or near the top of the line in several events this season.

“Maria’s right where I expect her to be at this point,” Laurel Highlands coach Ed Yauger said. “She’s been working hard and is really focused. Her best races are definitely ahead of her. She is ready to go faster at WPIALs this year.”The Laurel Highlands girls team now competes in Class AA. Mrosko, along with her Mustangs teammates, have been getting up to speed with the top competitors in the classification. 

Mrosko ranked third (5:26.15) in a competitive 500 freestyle field as the most recent WPIAL Class AA girls performance lists were released Tuesday.She was less than a second behind Elizabeth Forward sophomore Natalie Glessner and Northgate senior Karen Siddoway. She was 15th in the Class AAA 500 (5:19.36) at WPIALs last year.“There’s a lot of talented swimmers in double-A,” Yauger said. “She is familiar with them because if you’ve swum long enough like she has, you get to know people and what they’re all about. She’s really looking forward to moving to a whole other level at WPIALs.”Yauger points to Mrosko’s versatility in terms of what events she could swim at WPIALs this season. The 500 and 200 IM are her main events, but Yauger said she’s also fared well in the 100 fly and the 200 free.She’s fourth in the 100 fly on the WPIAL performance list and seventh in the 200 free.“Maria’s also trying to improve her backstroke and breaststroke in practice and in meets so she can do better in her IM,” Yauger said. “Right now, she’s our breaststroker in the medley relay, and she’s hitting solid splits that she was hitting last year at WPIALs. She’s in a good place to help that relay again this year.”

Michael Love is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Michael at 412-388-5825, mlove@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MLove_Trib.

 

Jacob Johnson Claims Bronze in WPIAL 50 Free

WPIAL Boys Medley Relay-Jonathon, Jacob, Logan, Jamey

 

WPIAL Divers - John Claims Silver - Dylan finishes 5th - Both advance to PIAA

 

2017-2018 Mustang & Fillie Swim & Dive Teams 

 

 

2017 PIAA Medalists

WPIAL AA Boy's Team Runner-up

 

 

 

2017 WPIAL Medalists

2017 WPIAL Medalist Divers

 

2016-2017 Mustang & Fillie Swim & Dive Teams 

 

 

2017 WPIAL Gold Medalists

2015-2016 Mustang & Fillie Swim & Dive Team

Sitting: (from left) Taylor Phelan; Mackenzie Robatin; Karlie Valek; Emily Yarish; Chloe Faris; Jaclyn Kacmar

Kneeling: (from left) Hannah Mikluscak; Daniel Keith; Logan Knoyer; Caleb Ruthardt; Jake Hughes; Theo Skoric; Brooke Mansberry

Standing: (from left) Christin Thomas (coach); Marissa Gall (coach); Benjamin Ashton; Lucas Thomas; Justin Kostelnik; Bill McCombie (coach); Ed Yauger (head coach)

Front Row L-R : Kyle Rasco, Jaclyn Kacmar, Josh Chisler, Taylor Gall, Justin Kostelnik, Arthur De Silva.

2nd Row L-R : Alex Rolaf, Caleb Ruthardt, Karlie Valek, Brooke Mansberry, Casey Whoolery-Pratt, Cassie Gluvna, Daniel Keith, Asst Coach Marissa Gall.

Third Row L-R : Hannah Mikluscak, Emily Yarish, Jacob Hughes, Justin Glosner, Mackenzie Robatin, Chloe Faris, Ashley Sabatula, Coach Ed Yauger.

Back Row L-R : Lee Knoyer, Conor Hughes, Seth Abraham, Lucas Thomas, Ben Ashton, Abbey Siebart, Liz Reilly , Asst Coach Bill Fabery.

Row 1–Heather Hunchuck, Katie Shimko, Brittany Janosek, Kelly Huston, Laura Koposko, Elizabeth Ulmer, Jeanette Mayfield, Alyssa Welch
Row 2–Casey Dascenzo, Angela Nepa, Karen Crackovich, Kelsey Zimcosky, Joey Saylor, Travis Kimmel, Amanda Cuteri, Kendall George, Marlaina Miller, Sara Zizak, Rebekah Hudock
Row 3–Bill McCombie (Head Coach), Zach Collins, Chris Welch, Chris Kostelnik, Kevin Bane, Marissa Allison (statistician), Randy Kitis, Frank Shimko, Ben Zuchelkowski, Bob McCombie (assistant coach), Ashley Shoaf (assistant coach)
Not Pictured – Brad Nepa (assistant coach), Jessika Yohman (statistician

Row 1: Amanda Cuteri, Karen Crackovich, Jeanette Mayfield, Jessika Yohman, Emily Powell, Kendall George, Heather Hunchuck, Chance Leihgaber, Denise Martin, Lindsay Mancini, Alyssa Welch
Row 2: Katie Shimko, Marissa Allison, Elizabeth Ulmer, Brittany Janosek, Casey Martin, Felicia Smitley, Marlaina Miller, Megan Blosser, Laura Koposko, Mallory Miller
Row 3: Head Coach Bill McCombie, Greg Guseman, Josef Saltz, Dan Lutrario, Travis Kimmel, Kelly Huston, Dave Johnson, Chris Hunchuck, Zach Collins, Assistant Coach Jordan Johns, Assistant Coach Bob McCombie
Not Pictured: J.C. Myers, Kari Higgins (stats), Sammi Johnson (stats), Joey Saylor, Jessica Gallo, Sara Zizak and Gypsy Beatty

Row 1: (l-r) Denise Martin, Brittany Janosek, Casey Martin, Erin Perry, Laura Ashton, Emily Powell, Alison Meese, Alyssa Welch
Row 2: (l-r) Felicia Smitley, Sara Zizak, Anne Komacek, Jessica Gallo, Linzy Bouras, Kelly Huston, Laura Koposko, Jeanette Mayfield, Katie Shimko, Lindsay Mancini, Jessika Yohman
Row 3: (l-r) Megan Blosser, Marissa Allison, Dave Johnson, Dan Lutrario, Chris Hunchuck, Travis Kimmel, Mike Gulley, James Albert, Marlaina Miller, Elizabeth Ulmer
Row 4: (l-r) Kari Higgins, Coach Darren DeCarlo, Adam Collins, Steve Hunchuck, Ben Bonchosky, Trent Boyer, Sam Silva, Coach Bill McCombie, Coach Bob McCombie, Sami Johnson
Not Pictured—Greg Guseman

1st Row, l-r: Jessika Yohman, Abby Painley, Kady Brewer, Co-Captain Theresa Reilly, Co-Captain Marissa Gall, Rachel Simpson, Brittany Janosek.
2nd Row, l-r: Laura Koposko, Lindsay Mancini, Alyssa Welch, Elizabeth Ulmer, Laura Ashton, Erin Perry, Kelly Huston, Casey Martin, Denise Martin, Jeanette Mayfield, Katie Shimko.
3rd Row, l-r: Ben Bonchosky, Steve Hunchuck, Chris Hunchuck, Dave Johnson, Greg Guseman, Dan Lutrario.
4th Row, l-r: Statistician Sara Johnson, Head Coach Bill McCombie, Ben Shinsky, Co-Captain Jimmy Tesauro, Co-Captain Alex Mundel, Tony Marghella, Ben Mundel, Asst. Coach Bob McCombie, Asst. Coach Darren DeCarlo.
Not pictured: Statistician Sam Johnson, Josh Painter, Emily Powell, Katie Seamans, Adam Collins

1st Row, l-r: Emily Bota, Mindy Elias, Casey Martin, Angela Lutrario, Rachael Simpson, Abby Rockwell, Natalie Stiner, Laura Ashton, Kady Brewer, Andrea Molina Cruz, Kelly Allman, Mallory MacLaughlin, Jessica DeAngelo,.
2nd Row, l-r: Statistician Sara Johnson, Dave Johnson, Alison Meese, Haley Brown, Carrie Thompson, Stacey Stamm, Savannah Matthews, Keri Smiell, Theresa Reilly, Samantha Meese, Marissa Gall, Bianca Trevino, Christina Zebley, Kara Dinsmore, Erin Perry, Head Coach Ed Yauger.
3rd Row, l-r: Assistant Coach Darren DeCarlo, Jack Macioce, Daniel Lutrario, Nathan Flesher, Steve Hunchuck, Ben Bonchosky, Chris Hunchuck, Adam Collins, Dustin Stalnaker, Aaron Hunchuck, Eric Wang, Jimmie Tesauro, Alex Mundel, Ben Shinsky, Assistant Coach Bill McCombie.
Not pictured: Max David Martinis Canino, Benny Mundel, Katie Molchan.