As winter came to a close, the Shaler Area Varsity Swim and Dive team ended their 2023-2024 season with a staggering 19 WPIAL cuts and a strong placement in States.
This year, the Titans came in swinging with their first WPIAL qualifier after only two meets from junior Noah Lang. This trend continued throughout the season with an especially strong senior night for seniors Will Nebiolo, Will Rea, Mikey Valdez, and captain Braden Bork.
Speaking of the seniors, the boys put on an impressive display before and during the WPIAL playoffs. Six members got the opportunity to participate this year, including the aforementioned Nebiolo, a four year veteran who qualified for the 200 free, 500 free, 200 free relay, 400 free relay, and the 200 medley relay categories. Even though he did not qualify for States, Nebiolo loved his experience at the playoffs.
“The atmosphere is loud and everyone is yelling, but it felt good seeing my teammates cheer me on by my lane and it was a great way to go out,” Nebiolo said.
Not to be outdone, the girls put on an equally impressive show of talent with another six WPIAL participants this year. Junior Grace Melocchi set a school record for the 100 Breaststroke category and junior girls captain Kaysia Chelli led the team with WPIAL cuts in the 200 Medley and Freestyle relay.
“I personally have been swimming for 8 years, and originally it was just something to do during the off-season of softball, but soon I was completely in love with the sport and all the people in it,” Chelli said.
One WPIAL qualifier did have the opportunity to move on to States. Noah Lang had a standout performance during the regular season making WPIAL cuts for almost every category, but was only able to compete in the 200 and 500 freestyle and a couple relays. Lang set a school record for the 200 IM and managed to place 6th in States for his two qualifying categories.
“I made States in my two individual events. That felt pretty good considering I only qualified for the 500 last year,” he explained. “It was nice to add another event to my States schedule.”
The incredible display that the SAVSD team put on this year–especially compared to last year–did a lot for the team.
“Our team has improved so much this season, and being able to see that success these past months is such a reward,” Chelli said.
Head coach Ms. Maddie London expressed a similar sentiment. A longtime swimmer herself, London has coached the SAVSD team for two years and could not be more proud of the progress and accomplishments.
“We haven’t had a women’s WPIAL relay for five years. It had been a while and we hadn’t gotten one yet, so we were really fighting to get one,” London explained. “So when we finally got it, we were so excited; literally jumping up and down. Kaysia, our junior captain, was blown out of her mind. It was just a really special moment for the whole team.”
