Four-bagger
Butler's Clouse qualifies for 4 WPIAL events, but Seneca Valley swimmers score pair of wins

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By Sam Tallarico
Eagle Staff Writer

BUTLER TWP — There was a lot of buzz at Thursday's Seneca Valley-Butler swimming and diving meet.
Aside from the Golden Tornado's Senior Night:
• The Seneca Valley girls cruised to a 98-80 victory, earning their third consecutive co-section championship along with North Allegheny.
• The Butler boys team, which won just one meet last year, was in a heated battle for win No. 4 before the Raiders swept the final four events to pull out a 97-85 triumph.
• The Tornado's Jason Clouse pulled off an amazing feat, qualifying for the WPIALevents in four events on Thursday — the 100 fly, 200 IM, 100 free and as the lead in the 400 free relay. He had already qualified this year in the 200 free.
It's always close," said Seneca Valley coach Tom Donati about the SV-Butler boys matchups. "We always come here and Butler swims a good meet."
Butler 's squad was facing a bout of the flu, which kept the team from using its full allotment of athletes.
"This flu ... our kid in the (boys) distance didn't make it and it would've made a difference," said Butler coach Dacia Como. "I'm just so proud of the kids. We had six to eight girls out. And we had to have some boys go in four events. I would have loved to see our boys win."
It was Clouse and Erik Bergh who helped carry the load, Clouse pulling off his incredible feat, which included wins in the 200 IM(2:09.31) and 100 fly (57.90) and Bergh winning the 200 free (1:53.86, a WPIAL qualifying time) and the 500 free (5:16.21).
"I went to Jason and told him 'You're my ironman,'" said Como.
The Raiders were led by James Geyer, who won the 50 free (23.67) and 100 back (59.48) and was a member of the winning 200 medley relay (1:47.28).
He was joined on that relay by Dan Gutmann, who also was a part of the two other winning relays, plus the senior won the 100 free (50.22).
Guttman was the first leg in the winning 200 free relay, which actually put Seneca Valley in the lead for good.
"Butler definitely gave us a scare. They do it every year," said Gutmann. "At the halfway point, we had a meeting and refocused. That was a wake-up call for us."
In the girls meet, Julie Titley captured the 200 free (1:59.17) and 100 free (55.15) and was on the winning 200 free relay (1:43.17). She was joined on the latter by Abby Myers, who won the 100 fly (58.84) and was a member of the winning 3,200 free relay (1:58.01).
Angela Panza was on both of those relay teams and Hollie Miller the 200 medley relay while also claiming the 50 free (26.61).
Butler was led by Bri Keelan, who won the 200 IM (2:19.19) and Brittany Grenet in the 1-meter diving (216.00).
"I'm just excited," said Donati. "The WPIALs are two weeks from today. We're a young team. The boys defeated Bethel Park for the first time in 36 years.
"The girls won the section for the third time in a row. There was no pressure because we were rebuilding. I think this year we got back to teaching. Back to the basics, work the wall, work the turns. We have a great group of kids," he added.
Notes: Entering Saturday's Last Ditch meet at North Allegheny, Seneca Valley has 12 WPIAL qualifiers (girls-Panza, Titley, Myers, Leah Patinski, Stephanie Ciraula, Makena Lynch and Becca George; boys-Guttman, Eric Peirce, Tyler Piedimonte, Justin Pritchard and Andrew McGlennen.
Butler has Clouse, Bergh, Alex Bauer and Matt Goettler on the boys side and Bri Keelan on the girls side, joined by Jordan McElhaney, Morgan Morrison and Abby Merhaut on all three relays.
Girls
Seneca Valley 98, Butler 80
200 medley relay: 1-Seneca Valley (Angela Panza, Becca George, Abby Myers, Hollie Miller) 1:58.01
200 freestyle: 1-Julie Titley (SV) 1:59.17; 2-Lynch (SV); 3-Bredl (SV)
200 individual medley: 1-Bri Keelan (B) 2:19.19; Patinski (SV); 3-Ciraula (SV)
50 freestyle: 1-Hollie Miller (SV) 26.61; 2-Thomas (SV); 3-Kristoff (SV)
1-meter diving: 1-Brittney Grenet (B) 216.00; 2-Harbison (B); 3-Suder (SV)
100 butterfly: 1-Abby Myers (SV) 58.84; 2-Panza (SV); 3-Merhaut (B)
100 freestyle: 1-Julie Titley (SV) 55.15; 2-Keelan (B); 3-Thomas (SV)
500 freestyle: 1-Stephanie Ciraula (SV) 5:13.32; 2-Myers (SV); 3-McElhaney (B)
200 freestyle relay: 1-Seneca Valley (Makena Lynch, Julie Titley, Angela Panza, Abby Myers) 1:43.17
*100 backstroke: 1-Jordan McElhaney (B) 1:08.04; 2-Kriley (B); 3-Holupka (B)
*100 breaststroke: 1-Morgan Morrison (B) 1:15.80; 2-Clouse (B); 3-Stickney (B)
*400 freestyle relay: 1-Butler (Abby Merhaut, Jordan McElhaney, Morgan Morrison, Bri Keelan) 4:02.23
*-exhibition
Boys
Seneca Valley 97, Butler 85
200 medley relay: 1-Seneca Valley (James Geyer, Justin Pritchard, Andrew McGlennen, Dan Gutmann 1:47.28
200 freestyle: 1-Erik Bergh (B) 1:53.86; 2-Piedimonte (SV); 3-Steele (B)
200 individual medley: 1-Jason Clouse (B) 2:09.31; 2-Pritchard (SV); Wargo (SV)
50 freestyle: 1-James Geyer (SV) 23.67; 2-Bauer (B); 3-McGlennen (SV)
1-meter diving: 1-Heath Calhoun (B) 271.70; 2-Barry (B); 3-Murphy (B)
100 butterfly: 1-Jason Clouse (B) 57.90; 2-Peirce (SV); 3-McGlennen (SV)
100 freestyle: 1-Dan Gutmann (SV) 50.22; 2-Bauer (B); 3-Myers (SV)
500 freestyle: 1-Erik Bergh (B) 5:16.21; Pritchard (SV); 3-Totolas (SV)
200 freestyle relay: 1-Seneca Valley (Dan Gutmann, Tyler Piedimonte, Eric Peirce, Andrew McGlennen) 1:35.58
100 backstroke: 1-James Geyer (SV) 59.48; 2-myers (B); 3-Peirce (SV)
100 breaststroke: 1-Nicholas Wargo (SV) 1:09.56; 2-Piedimonte (SV); 3-Graham (B)
400 freestyle relay: 1-Seneca Valley (Dan Gutmann, Eric Peirce, Tyler Piedimonte, Justin Pritchard) 3:32.33