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WPIAL swimming championships: Knoch’s Adrian Lavorini finishes in style, Dom Davis medals again, more from Day 2

Knoch’s Adrian Lavorini swims in the boys 200-yard individual medley race in the WPIAL Class 2A Swimming Championships held Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, at the University of Pittsburgh's Joseph C. Trees Pool. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

PITTSBURGH — Adrian Lavorini’s final individual swim at the WPIAL Class 2A Swimming Championships yielded a very impressive result.

Knoch’s senior swam the 100-yard breaststroke Friday in a time of 57.99 seconds at the University of Pittsburgh’s Trees Pool. It was good for third place and broke the school record in the process.

His older sister, Giona, herself a decorated high school swimmer now competing on Pitt’s women’s team, influenced Adrian in the event.

“The breaststroke was one of her top events, and when I started swimming it, I didn’t want her to beat me,” Adrian said. “We used to swim against each other in practice, pushed each other, and we both benefited from it.”

Related Article: WPIAL swimming championships: North Catholic’s Dom Davis wins gold in debut, Knoch’s Adrian Lavorini claims IM silver, more from Day 1

Adrian, with the help of three teammates, had his hand in making more history.

The Knights’ 400 freestyle relay team placed sixth with a school-record time of 3:22.33. Also swimming the event for the Knights was Aedan Smith, Brady Bleicher and McCale Buser.

Lavorini, who will compete in college at Penn State-Behrend, had a consistent career at WPIALs. He swam in eight individual events in four years, never failing to earn a medal.

“I also qualified for districts in every individual event all four years,” he said. “I’m proud of that, and everything I’ve accomplished.”

Dom Davis continues big WPIAL showing
Dom Davis - North Catholic

Following the graduation of star swimmer Luke Lamb last spring, Mars’ boys were in need of a leader.

With his performance at the WPIAL Class 3A championships this week, Dom Davis seems to be firmly entrenched in that role.

A day after winning a district title in the 50-yard freestyle, Davis, a sophomore at North Catholic swimming for the Planets as part of a co-op, finished runner-up in the 100 freestyle.

He now has new personal standards in both events at 20.26 and 44.89, respectively.

He came very close to winning a second title in as many days, finishing just seven-hundredths of a second behind Upper St. Clair’s Nazar Zoukovski in the 100.

In all, nine underclassmen competed in the 100 freestyle, and Davis was the only one to place in the Top 10.

Related Article: WPIAL diving: Seneca Valley’s Ali Waters, Mars’ Marin Raible reach states with calm demeanors

He qualified for WPIALs in all eight individual events this season, but due to a limit on the number of events any one swimmer can compete in, he had to choose two.

“I’ve been swimming competitively since I was 10, and the 50 and 100 have always been my top events,” he said. “The 50 is my best. I have the ability to get out and go, and that’s what the 50 is all about.”

While only district champions are guaranteed a spot at states, Davis’ time in the 100 should get him there with an at-large berth.

“I don’t think that will be a problem at all,” Mars coach Karen Guise said. “He’s been the anchor of our team this year, including the relays.”

Seneca Valley’s Triston Sasala likes the backstroke
Seneca Valley’s Triston Sasala congratulates a fellow competitor after the boys 100-yard butterfly race in the WPIAL Class 3A Swimming Championships held Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, at the University of Pittsburgh's Joseph C. Trees Pool. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Seneca Valley sophomore Triston Sasala seems to have found his niche in the Class 3A 100 backstroke. He placed eighth in the event here last year and added a fifth-place finish Friday.

“Coming into the season, I was hoping to refine my skills and just swim well, especially late in the season,” Sasala said.

His time Friday was 52.76, which is 1.76 seconds faster than his previous best.

“Triston has been working on his form entering the turns,” SV coach Brian Blackwell said. “He executed well today, and we’re optimistic his time will be good enough for states.”

The PIAA Swimming and Diving Championships will be held March 11-14 at Bucknell University.

WPIAL swimming results

Following are results from the WPIAL Swimming Championships, which concluded Friday at the University of Pittsburgh’s Trees Pool. The top eight in each event earned a medal.

Class 3A

Boys

100 freestyle: 2-Dom Davis (Mars) 44.89

100 backstroke: 5-Triston Sasala (Seneca Valley) 52.76

400 freestyle relay: 7-Mars (Patrick Quinn, Gavin Best, Preston Heynes, Dom Davis) 3:14.51

Girls

400 freestyle relay: 8-Seneca Valley (Audrey Wolfe, Ava Walker, Maddie Tomaszewski, Sasha Myers) 3:40.81

Class 2A

Boys

500 freestyle: 7-Jacob Ruediger (Knoch) 4:50.18

100 backstroke: 5-Brady Bleicher (Knoch) 55.60

100 breaststroke: 3-Adrian Lavorini (Knoch) 57.99; 8-Eli Hassler (Freeport) 1:02.40

400 freestyle relay: 6-Knoch (Adrian Lavorini, Aedan Smith, Brady Bleicher, McCale Buser) 3:22.33

Girls

100 backstroke: 7-Olivia Walewski (Knoch) 59.10

400 freestyle relay: 8-Knoch (Josephine Graper, Ryleigh Kabala, Olivia Walewski, Rachel Karwoski) 3:45.23

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