Cathedral Prep Uses Depth to Capture PIAA Class AA State Title; Riverside’s Joseph Roth Notches Breakout Meet

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Cathedral Prep Uses Depth to Capture PIAA 2A State Title

Cathedral Prep only needed four trips to the podium to reclaim its PIAA Class AA state title from 2019. The Ramblers collected 196 points over the course of the two-day meet, 48 more than runnerup Riverside (148), which finished 26 points ahead of third-place North Catholic (122). Class AA is the smaller of Pennsylvania’s two swimming classifications.

Cathedral got off to a bright start with the foursome of Mitchell Bradford (23.52), Matthew Hinman (26.39), Aidan Lewis (23.20) and Charles Agresti (21.77) swimming to what would be the Ramblers’ only win of the meet in the 200 medley relay. The team was timed in 1:34.88.

Bradford came back two events later to grab bronze in the 200 individual medley with a 1:52.94 to take almost two seconds off his personal best set at the PIAA District 10 meet a few weeks prior. The junior finished just behind runnerup, Boiling Springs junior Braelen Lowe (1:52.50), and Hampton senior William Retsch, who took the event in a best time of 1:50.59.

The Cathedral junior returned to the podium once again as he snagged silver in the 100 backstroke in another massive personal best of 50.11. He finished behind Riverside sophomore Joseph Roth, who produced a spectacular swim to break the Class AA record with a 48.44. It was a massive breakthrough performance for Roth, who never cracked 50 before the meet.

Roth had a stellar meet, winning two more golds leading off Riverside’s 200 and 400 free relays, and took silver in a close finish in the 50 free. He stopped the clock in 20.91, just .01 behind Blue Mountain freshman Noah Powers, who got the win with a 20.90. Another multi-event champion at the meet was Indiana High’s Preston Kessler. The freshman scored victories in the 100 (44.96) and 200 (1:40.39) free, winning both races by more than a second.

Southampton junior Henry Miller also had a fabulous showing, producing the only sub-50 performance in the field to win the 100 fly in 49.83 (49.76 in prelims). Miller followed up his championship swim with another medal-winning performance, grabbing bronze in the 100 breaststroke with a 56.96. Winning the event was Big Spring senior Matthew Raudabaugh, who produced a Class AA record 55.77 to defend his title from last year.

Other victories during the two-day meet were claimed by Northgate junior Matthew Purcell in the 500 free (4:35.14) and Susquehannock senior Max Pflieger, who won diving with a score of 412.75.

Top 5 Team Scores:

Cathedral Prep – 196
Riverside – 148
North Catholic – 122
Springfield Township – 117
Northgate – 107

Friday Finals

Saturday Finals

Full results and team scores can be found here.

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