Plum senior Brooke Price prepared for last push to WPIAL swimming championships

By: Michael Love


Saturday, February 7, 2026 | 11:01 AM

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Brooke Price is prepared.

The Plum senior is aware of what the push of swimming on the WPIAL championships at Pitt’s Trees Pool appears like in addition to the work that have to be achieved to be prepared.

The Mustangs are in prep mode for WPIALs, set for Feb. 26 and 27, and Price is aware of there’s a lot left to perform earlier than then.

“The season feels really long because we start early with training,” mentioned Price, who’s sixteenth within the 100-yard backstroke on the WPIAL Class 3A efficiency lists. She additionally owns a WPIAL reduce within the 200 particular person medley.

Price positioned tenth within the 100 again at WPIALs final yr (1:00.22) whereas taking sixteenth within the 200 IM (2:14.78). Two massive targets for her this yr are to medal within the 100 again and in addition go below one minute.

“We push through the winter months, and spring is right around the corner when we get to WPIALs,” she mentioned.

“It is a fun time of the year. Every single meet and every single practice have been building to this final run to WPIALs. We are all really excited to prepare these final couple of weeks. We have several swimmers, like myself, who know what WPIALs is all about. But we also have some who are new to WPIALs, and that is exciting, too, to see them get to experience that. It’s a fun time of the year to see your hard work pay off. It’s my last hurrah, and I am hoping to swim my best with my amazing teammates.”

Price and senior Dom Massie have been a part of a memorable swim at WPIALs within the 200 medley relay with graduates Giuliana Ricciuti and Kaileigh Smith. The quartet dropped 4 seconds from their seed time, positioned fifth in a time of 1:50.42, and certified for states.

“We were so amped up to swim our best at WPIALs, and when we finished our race and saw our time, we went to the coaches to figure out who finished ahead of us and behind us,” Price mentioned.

“When we heard fifth place, we were ecstatic. We were blown away, not thinking we might finish that well. We were seeded down a little bit and had to knock off a number of places.”

Plum swimmers have achieved particular person WPIAL cuts in each occasion, and all six relays even have certified. Plum coach Shane Ging mentioned quite a lot of them are near including extra particular person cuts, getting their first cuts, or hoping to raised occasions for occasions already secured.

Plum closes out twin meets this week towards Baldwin and Woodland Hills, and a few swimmers plan to attend a final probability meet Saturday at North Allegheny.

“It seems like we just got back from holiday break, and we had some good practices there,” Ging mentioned.

“We still have some work to do, and then we will start to taper to get ready for WPIALs.”

Ging mentioned Massie and senior Charlotte Faust have been working to get their particular person WPIAL cuts. Massie captured an eighth-place WPIAL medal within the 100 free (53.53) final yr.

Ivy Hedeen has had a breakout freshman season with cuts in occasions such because the 200 IM, 500 free and 100 breast with extra, Ging mentioned, to recover from the ultimate couple meets.

“She hasn’t missed a beat,” Ging mentioned. “She works her butt off and is a fighter. I think a big part of that for her was the implementation of the middle school team last year. She is used to those high intensity meets.”

As of Feb. 2, 9 swimmers recorded particular person WPIALs cuts, together with seniors Elle Irwin (50 free), Delaney Hunsinger (200 IM) and Aiden Irwin (50 free); junior Connor Potochnik (200 IM, 100 butterfly, 100 free, 500 free, 100 again); and sophomores Olivia Miller (50 free), Brayden Fricke (50 free) and Holtin Richard (100 breast, 200 IM, 100 again, 200 free, 500 free).

Price mentioned senior night time, shared with longtime associates and teammates, can be an emotional celebration of years of reminiscences. Eleven seniors — Massie, Price, Faust, Hunsinger, Zach Cooper, Wade Keresztury, Elle Irwin, Aiden Irwin, Emma Verkleeren, Hannah Woltjen and Max Woltjen — have been to be celebrated.

“We’ve been swimming together since we were little, and we formed such a close connection, almost like siblings,” she mentioned.

“We feel like one big family. We’ve been through so much. Swimming, a lot of times, puts such a mental and physical toll on your body, especially in high school season during the school year. We’ve leaned on each other through every single chapter.”

Michael Love is a TribStay reporter masking sports activities within the Alle-Kiski Valley and the japanese suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending 5 years on the Clearfield Progress. He could be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Plum