close

Virtual reality: Swim, rifle teams adjust to scheduling demands of pandemic

5 min read
1 / 2

Jim Downey | Herald-Standard

Jim Downey | Herald-Standard

Mapletown’s Ella Menear swims the backstroke leg of the 200 individual medley during a meet at Laurel Highlands last year. Though Mapletown does not have a swimming team, Menear has been able to secure a lane at Laurel Highlands home meets this season as she seeks to improve upon last year’s freshman performance with WPIAL silver and bronze medals.

2 / 2

Jim Downey | Herald-Standard

Mapletown’s Ella Menear takes a breath on her way to a silver medal finish in the 100 backstroke at the 2020 WPIAL Class AA Swimming Championships at Pitt’s Trees Pool. Though Mapletown does not have a swimming team, Menear has been able to secure a lane at Laurel Highlands home meets this season as she seeks to improve upon last year’s freshman performance with WPIAL silver and bronze medals.

Times are unique because of the coronavirus pandemic, and high school athletic directors, coaches and athletes are attempting to figure out the best way to avoid a lost winter season.

For swimming, diving and rifle teams, that will mean holding competitions live or virtually, or, for some, unfortunately, not at all.

Waynesburg, in a co-op with Jefferson-Morgan, and West Greene sponsor rifle teams, and, according to Raiders coach Rich Rush, competitions will be held virtually. Both teams compete at the Waynesburg Sportsmen’s Club.

“We’ve been able to shoot at the range, because it’s not at the school,” explained Rush before everything was shut down in mid-December. “We hold a split squad practice, three per relay and we leave an empty lane between them.

“We are taking every precaution possible. All it takes is for one kid to get sick.”

Though they don’t hold competitions on campus, Rush said the athletes follow the school’s policies.

“It is what it is. If Waynesburg shuts down, we follow whatever Waynesburg does. We still have a (school) attendance policy,” said Rush.

The coaches are heavily involved in organizing the rifle season, so they figured out how to fairly compete virtually.

“The coaches talk to each other. We shoot each team in our section (McGuffey, Upper St. Clair, West Greene) twice and once against Section 2 (Avella, Bethel Park, Trinity, Washington) for 10 matches,” said Rush.

“We are going to electronic scoring systems. The other teams will shoot (at their home range). There is a certain amount of trust involved. If someone wants to cheat, they can cheat.

“It’s a gentlemen’s agreement,” he continued. “The coaches basically run it. The coaches will decide whether to Zoom or meet some place to score the match.”

Rush is disappointed not to be able to host half the matches.

“Actually, truthfully, it hurts us. It’s tough to shoot (at the sportsmen’s club). It’s so cold in there. We have a home-range advantage,” Rush said with a laugh.

The top two teams in each of the four sections will qualify for the WPIAL team event to be held Feb. 16, at the Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsman Club. The competition is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and run throughout the day to keep the teams separated.

The individual tournament will be held Feb. 18, at the same venue. The state championship will be held over three days, Feb. 23-25, on both sides of the state.

Guidance for the WPIAL’s swimming championships is to be released this week, but will likely not held at the University of Pittsburgh’s Trees Pool. The ripple-down effect in the change of venue is how, and how many, swimmers will qualify for the WPIAL meet, to be held the first week of March.

The PIAA has already said only 16 swimmers, instead of 32, statewide will qualify for the state meet and each classification will hold a one-day meet.

The diving championships will be held at North Allegheny, Class 2A on Feb. 26, and Class 3A the next day.

Meets will vary between virtual and live, as will the ability of parents to attend the competitions.

Mapletown sophomore Ella Menear was one of several swimmers, including California’s Anastasia Georgagis, who had a noteworthy season last year without affiliation to a school team.

Menear was able to continue her training during the suspension of activities in Pennsylvania at the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park in Morgantown, W.Va., her “home” pool.

The big question for independent swimmers is pool and meet access to post a qualifying time, and, fortunately for Menear, she will be able to do so at Laurel Highlands.

“Ella had to train on her own. The club was down. She had a day pass to use the pool,” explained Ella’s mother and coach Christy. “She did her two-a-days in the pool and learned virtually at home.

“They treat Ella very nice at LH. It’s a blessing, thankfully, to get to swim with high quality swimmers.”

With so much uncertainty surrounding the winter sports season, Christy Menear gave her daughter some sound advice.

“This is the season to become mentally tough. I don’t expect her to get a PR every time, but there is the possibility of one and done (with meets),” she said. “The qualifying times are faster.”

Belle Vernon senior Ian Shahan, a two-time WPIAL record holder, also went south of the border to Morgantown to get time in the pool.

Shahan, Menear and all the Class AA swimmers were victims of the pandemic back in mid-March when the PIAA shut down the state meet the day before the smaller classification was to compete.

“The way things are going, it’s looking good. I’m excited,” said Shahan. “But, I’m not liking the prospect of the PIAA and WPIAL one-day meet.”

Belle Vernon will host meets, but without fans. Meets are available on the school’s YouTube site.

“It makes a difference. Competition in a race pushes me. I never had to swim against the clock,” said Shahan, who has signed a letter-of-intent to attend the United States Military Academy.

Pandemic or not, Shahan is not going to alter his focus for the season.

“I’ll go in with the same mentality as in previous years. I’ll go swim and do whatever I can, and see what I can do,” explained Shahan. “And, be hopeful for a big flourish at the end. But, I’ll be taking it one meet at a time.”

Shahan said he hasn’t forgotten about his missed opportunity to compete in the 2020 state finals.

“I think about it a lot. I was ready to pop off some good times at states,” said Shahan. “I want to go faster. That’s one of the great things about the sport. I know what I have to work on.”

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today