“We are a little fish in a big pond and we will leave our mark,” expressed Riverside Swim Team head coach Gwen Nulph when asked about the upcoming WPIAL Swimming Championships.
They surely have owned up to this statement during the season and now turn their attention to the WPIAL Class AA championships.
The small, co-op team consisting of Ellwood City and Riverside athletes is off to the championships carrying their undefeated, boys Class-AA section title with them.
Last year alone, the team won a medal at states for the medley relay. That was a moment in Riverside history seeing as it had been the first time ever for the swim team to medal.
For this WPIAL Swimming tournament, the established co-op team will be sending seven swimmers to compete in events. Senior Donnie Paracca is leading the team as the only senior, followed by junior Josiah Shaffer, sophomores Graham Kralic, Hunter Nulph, and Hayden Panek, and with the youngest being the two freshmen Alexander Roth and, the only female going from Riverside, Jenna Hayson. Each male will be competing in at least four events, and Hayson will only be competing in the women’s 200 IM.
On top of individual events, Roth, Shaffer, Kralic, and Paracca will be competing as a relay team. This team will be swimming three events: the 200 Medley. 200 Free, and the 400 Free.
The team began competing on Thursday of this week and will continue their championship efforts on Friday, March 1 at the Trees Pool located at the University of Pittsburgh.
After Thursday (Day 1) of events, Indiana leads the boys team race with 123 points. Riverside (106) is currently tied for third place.
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