Upper St. Clair to host WPIAL swimming
Upper St. Clair’s state-of-the art aquatics center will be the site of this year’s WPIAL Swimming Championships.
Upper St. Clair is scheduled to host the WPIAL Swimming Championships March 6-7.
Upper St. Clair High School is scheduled to host the WPIAL Swimming Championships March 6-7.
“We are excited,” said USC athletic director Kevin Deitrick. “We are anxious to pull this off and thrilled to show off our facility. It is especially fantastic for our seniors to have this opportunity to end their careers in their own pool and own water.”
In 2019, USC approved construction of a multi-million dollar aquatics center. The swim team hosted its first meet Jan. 26, 2020.
USC’s swim center features an eight-lane, 25-yard competition pool plus a four-lane, 25-yard warm water special-use pool and diving well.
“At Upper St. Clair, we are blessed to have amazing facilities and a tremendous, supportive administration that enables us to do this,” said Deitrick.
Deitrick said the school’s size, location and capacity appealed to the WPIAL.
Because the school also houses two full-size gymnasiums, it will be able to use this additional space as a staging area for the swimmers. This will provide for proper social distancing and other parameters created by COVID-19 restrictions, Deitrick said.
No fans will be allowed to view the proceedings as the capacity in the swim area is 125 spectators because of COVID-19 regulations. Only swimmers, coaches, officials and select media will be admitted.
“These days, I just deal with social distancing,” Dietrick said. “So it’s 96 for our gym and 125 for the pool.”
USC is set to host the Class AAA and AA championships. The WPIAL will iron out details of the meet, particularly starting times, during a meeting scheduled for Feb. 24.
Previously, the WPIAL conducted its swimming championships at Trees Pool but the University of Pittsburgh is not currently allowing outside groups to use the facility.
While it is uncertain whether a high school venue will produce record times, the meet will feature some of the premier swimmers in the state, if not the nation.
USC boasts it’s share of talent.
Josh Matheny already is qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials, which will determine the American swimmers that will participate in the Tokyo Summer Games. Matheny holds both the WPIAL and PIAA records for the 100-yard breaststroke event. The Indiana University recruit is a three-time champion in the race at the local and state level.
North Allegheny, which the Panthers hosted in a dual meet over the weekend, is expected to dominated the competition. The Tigers have won the last 12 WPIAL girls team titles and the boys have 13 championships since 2006.
The WPIAL diving championships will be held at North Allegheny. Class AA competition is set for Feb. 26 and Class AAA Feb. 27.