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Bethel Park swamps Raiders swimmers

Seneca Valley's Diana Rocco set a school record with a score of 256.40 in winning the 1-meter diving event Tuesday, but the Raiders girls lost to Bethel Park 96-84.

JACKSON TWP — The Seneca Valley girls swimming team isn't one to back down from a challenge.

And the Raiders certainly got one Tuesday night.

The Bethel Park girls visited the SV Natatorium and walked away with four pool records and a 96-84 nonsection win.

Bethel Park also won the boys meet, 103-66.

Breaking pool records for the Black Hawks were Charlotte Brackett (23.91 seconds in the 50 freestyle and 52.55 in the 100 freestyle), Rebecca Zimmer (5:01.71 in the 500 freestyle) and the 400 freestyle relay team (3:33.77).

But for Bethel Park coach Bill Kennedy and his squad, it was just another meet.

"Breaking pool records, we've been doing it all year," said the veteran coach. "These girls just have tremendous talent."

"Take that talent and pair it with a program used to winning and you have a team capable of just about anything."

Bethel Park (8-0) has won the last three WPIAL Class AAA girls team championships and has finished runner-up at states two years in a row.

The Black Hawks have won 52 straight dual meets and three of their swimmers are headed to NCAA Division I schools — Brackett to the University of Richmond, Kaitlyn Sweeney to Bucknell and Sarah Dunleavy to Purdue.

"I've been coaching for 18 years and before that I swam at Bethel Park, and I've never seen a team with that kind of depth," said SV coach Tom Donati.

"To come in here and break all those pool records at this time of the year, it's amazing," Donati added. "But we should have swam better ourselves."

The Raiders (7-2) won three events, with one coming in the 400 freestyle relay that Bethel Park swam as an exhibition but still gets credit for the pool record.

SV's other victories came with Diana Rocco's school-record score of 256.40 in the diving event and the quartet of Emily Wolfarth, Rose Snyder, Julie Titley and Abby Myers won the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:40.94.

Rocco's score beat her previous school record of 255 set last month.

"My best score last year was in the 240s," said Rocco, who trains at the University of Pittsburgh three times a week. "With it being my senior year, I'm just trying to step it up."

SV's boys (1-8) received a bright spot from Dan Gutmann, who won the 50 freestyle (23.95) and the 100 breaststroke (1:07.36).

Gutmann has qualified for the WPIAL Championship meet in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke.

"Dan's our best chance to send a boy to the state meet, most likely in the breaststroke," said Donati.

Seneca Valley will face Shaler Thursday.

GirlsBethel Park 96, Seneca Valley 84200 medley relay: 1-Bethel Park (Brackett, Dunleavy, Sweeney, Brinkhoff) 1:49.42

200 freestyle: 1-Rebecca Zimmer (BP) 1:54.41

200 individual medley: 1-Sarah Dunleavy (BP) 2:08.61

50 freestyle: 1-Charlotte Brackett (BP) 23.91

1-meter diving: 1-Diana Rocco (SV) 256.40

100 butterfly: 1-Kaitlyn Sweeney (BP) 59.78

100 freestyle: 1-Charlotte Brackett (BP) 52.55

500 freestyle: 1-Rebecca Zimmer (BP) 5:01.71

200 freestyle relay: 1-Seneca Valley (Emily Wolfarth, Rose Snyder, Julie Titley, Abby Myers) 1:40.94

100 backstroke: 1-Sarah Aronson (BP) 1:05.13

100 breaststroke: 1-Melissa Drischler (BP) 1:14.57

400 freestyle relay: 1-Seneca Valley (Emily Wolfarth, Julie Titley, Rose Snyder, Abby Myers) 3:39.02

BoysBethel Park 103, Seneca Valley 66200 medley relay: 1-Bethel Park (Zapp, Thieshen, Shaffer, Yandrich) 1:49.21

200 freestyle: 1-Matt Hazelett (BP) 1:52.62

200 individual medley: 1-David Shaffer (BP) 2:13.50

50 freestyle: 1-Dan Gutmann (SV) 23.95

1-meter diving: 1-John Szott (BP) 226.90

100 butterfly: 1-David Thieshen (BP) 58.81

100 freestyle: 1-David Shaffer (BP) 52.03

500 freestyle: 1-Tyler Kowalski (BP) 5:24.54

200 freestyle relay: 1-Bethel Park (Yandrich, Hazelett, Shaffer, Valentine) 1:38.44

100 backstroke: 1-Matt Hazelett (BP) 1:00.79

100 breaststroke: 1-Dan Gutmann (SV) 1:07.36

400 freestyle relay: 1-Bethel Park 3:37.51

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