With the conclusion of the season and the completion of the Westmoreland County Coaches Association Championships, the Norwin Varsity Swim Team members are ready to compete in WPIAL playoffs. While the team did not quality for WPIALs, they did accomplish new coach Katherine Bernadi’s goal of getting as many Norwin swim members as possible to make the cut for individual WPIALs.
There were 10 Norwin boys varsity swimmers who qualified for WPIALs including Tyler Turgeon (12), Luke Valdes (12), Korbin Holliday (11), Aidan Samuels (10), Liam Samuels (10), Preston Montag (10), Holden Sikora (10), Owen Turgeon (10), Ellis Slavin (9), and Will Little (9).
There were also 10 girls varsity swimmers who qualified for WPIALs including Hanna Klingensmith (12), Kara Kostrabola (12), Kismet Juart (11), Chloe Verdin (11), Amber Klingensmith (10), Isabella Gaebel (10), Olivia Ochap (10), Riley Baker (10), Remi Detschelt (9), and Amelia Vecchio (9).
The WPIAL event was held at Trees Hall in Pittsburgh on March 27 and 28, beginning at 8 a.m. and going until roughly 1 p.m. The competition held 12 different events: 200-yard medley relay, 200-yard freestyle, 200-yard IM, 50-yard freestyle, 1-meter diving, 100-yard butterfly, 200-yard freestyle relay, 100-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke, 100-yard breaststroke, and 100-yard freestyle relay. Competitors competed in the selective events that they qualified to compete in.
All Norwin attendees showed up for a fight and performed well. Overall, the girls team scores added up to 104 points, placing them in 10th place. The boys team scores added up to 59 points, placing them in 14th place. Out of the 20 Norwin athletes who competed at WPIALs, an impressive 5 athletes took home a shiny medal(s) around their neck and will be moving on to the next sector of swim competitions.
Senior Hanna Klingensmith, sophomore Amber Klingensmith, and senior Tyler Turgeon all medaled in their individual events and, in addition, qualified for states. Norwin also had a relay team that medaled, beat the Norwin school record, and qualified for states in the 200 freestyle relay. The members of this team include Hanna Klingensmith, Amber Klingensmith, Remi Detschelt, and Kismet Juart.
One of the most notable performances of the WPIAL event was from Amber Klingensmith. Finishing 1st place in the 100-yard butterfly and 3rd in the 100-yard backstroke, Klingensmith took home both a gold and bronze medal. Furthermore, she beat the 100-fly record for a second time. Originally, Amber beat the 1981 record in January at counties in Dairy. However, Amber once again beat that same record at WPIALs, meaning she re-set her own record for the 100 fly. In addition to beating the 100 fly record, Amber beat another longstanding record-the 100-yard backstroke. Amber beat the 42-year-old record from 1982 at WPIALs.
“Going into the season, I knew I wanted to get the 100 fly,” said Amber. “My personal best was lower than the record. I swam it at club, but it didn’t count for high school. For the 100 back, I just had a really good season in it. I didn’t expect to get the record. At states I just want to place as highly as I can and have fun.”
Joining her sister at States will be Hanna Klingensmith. Placing 6th in the 50-yard freestyle and 6th in the 500-yard freestyle, Hanna took home two bronze medals and a ticket to her first time at states. Committed to Bucknell, Hanna looks forward to swimming in the university’s pool for the first time. Both sisters are pleased to head to states together.
“I am .01 seconds off of the 50 free record,” said Hanna. “I want to get that record and I just want to place as high as I can and make finals.”
Both sisters hope to assist in lowering the relay record at states as well.
Amber was not the only WPIAL medalist who beat a withstanding record. Senior Tyler Turgeon, a consistent contributor to Norwin’s swim team, placed 2nd in the 100-yard butterfly and 6th in the 100-yard backstroke. He took home a silver and bronze medal. Turgeon also beat a past Norwin record set by Ethan Telanko in the 100 fly. Turgeon beat the 5-year standing record with a time of 50.37. Focused more on placement and dropping his time, Tyler was pleasantly surprised to find that he had broken the record.
Unfortunately, while he qualified for states, Tyler was not able to compete due to medical limitations.
All of the qualifiers headed to Bucknell University to compete in states on March 14 and 15.
Hanna Klingensmith had a preliminary time of 5:13.61 for the 500-yard freestyle and a time of 24.50 for the 50-yard freestyle. Norwin’s 200-yard freestyle relay team had a prelim time of 1:40.13. Amber Klingensmith had a prelim time of 58.79 for the 100-yard backstroke. She also had a prelim time of 57.48 which seeded her in 10th place for the 100-yard butterfly. Amber was the only Norwin state qualifier to final, placing in the 100-yard butterfly.
