“Breaking Waves: Mt. Pleasant Quartet Shatters National Swimming Record at Westmoreland High!”

By: Bill Beckner Jr.


Sunday, December 22, 2024 | 2:53 PM

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A national record, a remarkable achievement for this dynamic quartet’s inaugural time competing together.

Mt. Pleasant showcased its four NCAA Division I recruits last Sunday at a Pittsburgh Elite Aquatics event held at Pitt’s Trees Pool, a venue they are quite familiar with.

The mixed medley relay team from Mt. Pleasant Aqua Club — Kiersten O’Connor, Joe Gardner, David Mutter, and Lily King — established a national record in the 15-18 age category with a time of 3 minutes, 25.59 seconds, surpassing the former record (3:25.84) by .25 seconds.

“Given that Kiersten O’Connor secured third in the state last year in the 100 backstroke and first in the 50 free, Joseph Gardner clinched first in the state in breaststroke, David Mutter won first in butterfly, and Lily triumphed in 100 free, we believed this quartet of state champions would be an excellent team to attempt the national record,” remarked Mt. Pleasant coach Sandy Felice.

All four athletes have committed to D-I universities, with O’Connor going to Connecticut, Gardner to Pitt, Mutter to Alabama, and King to N.C. State.

“I am extremely proud of their dedication to swimming practice every day throughout the year,” Felice stated. “They set their sights on breaking the record earlier this year, and I’m thrilled with the outcome.”

New Norwin coach

Kathy Bernardi is set to guide the Norwin swimming teams this winter.

She has succeeded longtime coach Doug Watson, who stepped down after six seasons.

A teacher of English at Norwin for the past 15 years, Bernardi has also coached youth swimming in Indianapolis and Portsmouth, Va., and is the head coach for the Monroeville Marlins club team.

Two of her children, Morgan and Andrew Holmes, are swimmers at Bloomsburg, both of whom graduated from Gateway.

Another son, Michael Holmes, also swam at Gateway before continuing his college career at Mount Union.

Bernardi has a solid background in WPIAL swimming as she competed for Gateway, her alma mater.

“I swam in high school, but my achievements were nowhere near the level of success my children have experienced,” she noted.

She studied at Indiana and taught in Indiana and Virginia prior to returning to Pennsylvania.

“I’m certainly not as fascinating as this team,” Bernardi admitted. “They are small, but I believe they may accomplish some significant, surprising feats. They have already secured all relay WPIAL cuts. Last year, the girls could not achieve the 400 free cut. This year, they managed all of them in the initial two meets.”

On track

The Hempfield girls track and field team commenced the indoor season with notable highlights.

Competing on their home turf, Hempfield’s standout was Point Park commit Katie Dolinski, who won the shot put (36 feet, 9 inches) and weight throw (39-9).

Allie DeMatt clinched victory in the high jump (4-8), while Tessa Tragesser secured first place in the pole vault (9-7).

Whipple offered

It marks two Division I scholarship offers for Penn-Trafford senior football star Tasso Whipple.

St. Francis (Pa.) presented a scholarship offer to Whipple, who played as a running back and outside linebacker for the Warriors. He also has an offer from Robert Morris.

This season, he was the second-highest rusher in Westmoreland County, accumulating 1,716 yards and 14 touchdowns.

St. Francis is recruiting Whipple as an athlete, indicating they do not have a specific position assigned for the 6-foot-1, 190-pound player.

“They did not specify which side of the ball,” Whipple mentioned, “but ultimately, I simply love playing football, so I have no preference. I couldn’t be more thrilled to receive an offer. I’m very thankful for all of it.”

Jeannette donation

The Jeannette football program received a financial contribution from the nieces of dedicated Jayhawks supporter William Holtzer, who passed away in October at the age of 91.

Pat Kadlebek, Vicki Schantz, Wendy Rees, and Betty Jean Cooksey presented the donation to the program in honor of “Uncle Bill.”

Holtzer was a two-way lineman for the Jayhawks during his time playing in the late 1940s.

He served as team captain and then went on to marry his high school sweetheart, the late Delores “Dee” Demark, who was a cheerleader for Jeannette.

Recruiting

Yough softball athlete Sidney Bergman will compete at Penn State Fayette. Bergman is a pitcher who did not play on the high school team last year.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive correspondent covering local athletics in Westmoreland County. He can be contacted at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Jeannette, Mt. Pleasant, Norwin, Penn-Trafford