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The lineups remain in limbo, but the coaches have been announced for the third annual Hamot Sports Medicine Senior Showdown. The exhibition event, pitting District 10's best Class AAA senior wrestlers from the 2008-09 season against those from Class AA, will take place March 25 at General McLane High School at 7 p.m.

Meadville coach John Frye will be in the corner of the AAA participants, with Grove City's Marty Ruley on the AA side.

Harbor Creek hosted the first two Senior Showdowns. Huskies coach Derek Chew is still in charge of the event, even though this season's meet will take place at McLane.

General admission tickets are $5 per person. Proceeds will benefit the District 10 Wrestling Scholarship Fund.

-- Mike Copper

LEWISBURG -- Thanks for checking the Varsity blog for District 10 updates from Saturday's PIAA Class AAA swimming and diving meet at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium.

Because of the meet's format and media room location, I only plan to update at the end of each session. If a district entry places first or second, I will try to submit a separate post as soon as possible.

Saturday's preliminary swimming session for girls will run from 8 to 9:30 a.m. and the boys from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The AAA girls diving competition will run from 2 to 4:30 p.m., followed by the championship swimming session for the girls from 5:30 to 7 and the boys from 8 to 9:30.

The headline for this post will reflect my latest update and the extended entry box will include updated results from the throughout the day.

Again, thanks for checking.

-- Mike Copper

Continue reading "PIAA Class AAA swimming and diving meet concludes" »

LEWISBURG -- It wasn't for a lack of trying.

Cathedral Prep's Joseph Stark swam more than a second faster than his District 10 record of 1 minute, 53.15 seconds in Friday's 200-yard individual medley final at the PIAA Class AAA swimming and diving meet. Stark touched the wall at Bucknell University's Kinney Natatorium in 1:51.58.

That time would have made Stark Prep's third individual state titlist -- if not for Greg Mahon. The St. Joseph's Prep senior, competing in his first state meet, lowered the PIAA record in that event to 1:48.31.

Stark entered the 200 IM final with the best qualifying time of 1:51.39. Mahon, a known commodity in Philadelphia Catholic League pools, had a heat time of 1:51.55.

Mahon went on to set the state record in the 100 butterfly (48.13). Stark received his first silver medal of the session when the Ramblers placed second in the 200 medley relay (1:34.03).

-- Mike Copper

LEWISBURG -- Thanks for checking the Varsity blog for District 10 updates from Friday's PIAA Class AAA swimming and diving meet at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium.

Because of the meet's format and media room location, I only plan to update at the end of each session. If a district entry places first or second, I will try to submit a separate post as soon as possible.

Over the last two days, I had mentioned how no district swimmer of any kind had won a PIAA event since 2003. That's no longer the case.

Mercyhurst Prep freshman Marie Georger ended that six-year drought Thursday evening when she claimed the Class AA girls 100-yard backstroke. Georger's winning time of 55.60 seconds was faster than her district record of 55.67, but it won't count because it wasn't set during a district meet.

Friday's preliminary swimming session for girls will run from 8 to 9:30 a.m. and the boys from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The AAA girls diving competition will run from 2 to 4:30 p.m., followed by the championship swimming session for the girls from 5:30 to 7 and the boys from 8 to 9:30.

The headline for this post will reflect my latest update and the extended entry box will include updated results from the throughout the day.

Again, thanks for checking.

-- Mike Copper

Continue reading "Friday's PIAA Class AAA swim meet results " »

Mercyhurst Prep freshman Marie Georger became District 10's first state swimming champion of any kind in six years when she won the girls 100-yard backstroke title at Thursday's PIAA Class AA swimming and diving meet.

Georger, a former swimming standout at St. George, was timed at 55.60 seconds in the championship final at Bucknell University's Kinney Natatorium. Although not officially recognized, she broke her own District 10 AA record of 55.67.

That time made her the top seed when the 100 backstroke heats began Thursday morning. Georger qualified first for the championship final at 56.53.

Prior to Georger, the last time a district swimmer won a state title was 2003. That year, McDowell senior Jared Poniatowski won the Class AAA 50-yard freestyle in 20.73 seconds at Penn State University.

Georger also became Mercyhurst's first state swimming champion. The school reinstated the program for the 2006-07 season.

-- Mike Copper

The General McLane girls and Cathedral Prep will play a doubleheader at Sharon High School on Saturday while the Mercyhurst Prep girls head to Central Cambria High School in the PIAA quarterfinals.

McLane (25-1) will take on the fourth seed from District 7, Indiana (23-4) at 4 p.m. The Lancers ran by West Mifflin 54-43 on Wednesday night, while Indiana beat Mount Pleasant 50-42.

Mercyhurst Prep (21-6) gutted out a 51-39 win over Franklin on Wednesday, and will travel to Central Cambria High School in Ebensburg to take on District 3 runner-up Lampeter-Strasburg (27-3) at 5:30 p.m.

Prep (17-9) will continue its impressive late season run against District 7 runner-up Mount Lebanon (23-5) at Sharon High School at 5:30 p.m. The Ramblers knocked off Pittsburgh Central Catholic 60-58 on Wednesday, while Lebanon beat State College 51-49.

-- Tom Reisenweber

LEWISBURG -- Thanks for checking the Varsity blog and for District 10 updates from Thursday's PIAA Class AA swimming and diving meet at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium.

Because of the meet's format and media room location, I only plan to update at the end of each session. If a district entry places first or second, I will try to submit a separate post as soon as possible.

Thursday's preliminary swimming session for girls will run from 8 to 9:30 a.m. and the boys from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The AA girls diving competition will run from 2 to 4:30 p.m., followed by the championship swimming session for the girls from 5:30 to 7 and the boys from 8 to 9:30.

The headline for this post will reflect my latest update and the extended entry box will include updated results from the throughout the day.

Again, thanks for checking.

-- Mike Copper

Continue reading "PIAA Class AA girls swimming meet concludes " »

LEWISBURG -- Harbor Creek senior Brittany DiSanti was great during Wednesday's PIAA Class AA girls diving meet.

Catherine Rose was simply better.

Rose defended her state title off the 1-meter board at Bucknell University's Kinney Natatorium. The Allentown Central Catholic junior never trailed throughout the meet's 11 rounds and finished with 436.55 points.

DiSanti had the best finish ever by a Harbor Creek diver at states. She totaled 396.50 points, good for second by 1.15 points over Dallas senior Mariel Adams.

-- Mike Copper