Not in person: Athletes compete virtually in the pool, on the range
Boys and girls in the winter sports season, almost to an athlete, just wanted the chance to compete, to play.
That meant doing so virtually for those on the rifle range and many in the pool before the season concluded with the WPIAL championships in late February and early March.
Rifle coaches decided before their season started their teams would compete virtually.
Waynesburg Central coach Rich Rush said the virtual season had a hitch or two, but everyone adjusted to the demands and made it work.
鈥淧ostal matches,鈥� as Rush referred to the virtual competitions, 鈥淚t鈥檚 different. We didn鈥檛 have too much trouble.鈥�
Although matches on the range are far more subdued than games on a court or meets in a pool, Rush said there was something missing for some of his squad.
鈥淪ome kids feed off (having the other team present). Sometimes it seemed just like a practice. The kids weren鈥檛 getting into it,鈥� said Rush.
Whether done electronically or manually, the scoring was done by each coach and the results were combined, generally in a timely fashion.
鈥淲e were dealing with the honor system. We lost to McGuffey on an 鈥榅鈥� count,鈥� explained Rush. 鈥淚鈥檇 text a photo or when we had the Orion System (for electronic scoring), we鈥檇 send the printout.
鈥淲e still tried to keep with the schedule and get the results finished within a day or two.鈥�
Rush was very cognizant with protocols in place, especially since Waynesburg shares the Waynesburg 缅北禁地men鈥檚 Club with West Greene.
鈥淲e鈥檇 go from 3-4:30 in the afternoon and we鈥檇 shoot three at a time with a lane in between and plexiglass between the lanes,鈥� said Rush. 鈥淭hen, when they finished they were to leave.
鈥淪hooting against West Greene was different.鈥�
The Raiders finished third in the WPIAL Team Championships. Waynesburg鈥檚 Taylor Burnfield finished third on tiebreakers and Grace Kalsey placed sixth in the individual championship.
The district team and individual finals were the first time the athletes shot away from their home ranges and against other teams.
鈥淏ut, it all worked out. The kids did well in the playoffs,鈥� added Rush, who now prepares for the spring season as Jefferson-Morgan鈥檚 softball coach.
Anytime Laurel Highlands and Uniontown meet in competition, a raucous, noisy crowd is present, amping up the energy of the rivalry.
But not this year, with the Mustangs and Red Raiders swimming in their homes pools a mere 1陆 miles apart.
The atmosphere of a normal meet was missed by Laurel Highlands鈥� Dean Schiffbauer.
鈥淚t feels like a practice,鈥� said Schiffbauer. 鈥淯niontown and Connellsville are our rival schools.
鈥淚鈥檓 not one who can hear the screaming, but it鈥檚 a lot more adrenaline creating with people actually watching (in the stands) than in a camera.鈥�
Frazier junior Alexandra Pohodich swam at Connellsville home meets for the opportunity to qualify for the district meet. She admitted swimming in a virtual meet was a bit different.
鈥淭he last meet (before the season finale) felt like a mock meet or practice. It was very different,鈥� said Pohodich.
Connellsville was able to compete in person for most of its meets, with a limited crowd in the stands, but did have to merge electronic folders against Mount Pleasant and Hempfield.
鈥淓ach team swims at each school with referees, then the results are merged in the computer,鈥� explained Connellsville assistant coach Carrie Detwiler. 鈥淚t鈥檚 supposed to be done in seven days.鈥�
The lane assignments are the same virtually, with the home team in Lanes 2, 4 and 6 and the visitors taking Lanes 1, 3 and 5.
鈥淭he kids have nothing to push them,鈥� added Detwiler.
All but three of Uniontown鈥檚 meets, all on the road, were held virtually, so the staff got pretty good at the setup. To that point, Vera Grimes, wife of head coach Bill Grimes, helped other teams with any issues with scoring a virtual meet.
鈥淭he results were usually done on the same night,鈥� said Bill Grimes. 鈥淲e taught several schools because we did so many. We helped them.鈥�
Bill Grimes said holding meets virtually often adjusted the way he filled out the events.
鈥淚 put some of our kids in some events they would not normally be in to get them to push (their teammates),鈥� said Grimes. 鈥淲hen I see a meet鈥檚 heat sheet, I can adjust my people to get a better result.鈥�
Grimes said he adjusted the way he set his lineup as the season progressed.
鈥淏y midseason on, we focused on WPIAL times,鈥� said Grimes. 鈥淲e lost a meet or two because we moved our kids around.鈥�
Grimes had nothing but praise for his squad as they dealt with all the issues brought about by the coronavirus.
鈥淲e missed 38 days of practice,鈥� explained Grimes. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 say enough about my kids. You have to be in condition. We were more concerned to try to get those kids qualified for the WPIALs. We pushed them like we never had before.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 say enough, to do as well as they did this season (with so much missed practice).鈥�
Mapletown鈥檚 Ella Menear won bronze in the 200 IM and silver in the 100 backstroke at the WPIAL Class AA Swimming Championships last year as a freshman.
As an independent swimmer, Menear needed a lane to secure qualifying times for the WPIAL championship. Laurel Highlands has graciously offered her an open lane to do so over the past two seasons.
鈥淎ll but one meet was virtual. The first meet (against Freeport) was live,鈥� said Christy Menear, Ella鈥檚 mother and coach. 鈥淓lla was welcome (at Laurel Highlands).鈥�
Christy Menear said the approach to qualifying was altered given the situation brought about by the pandemic.
鈥淲e focused on the 100 backstroke and 200 IM this year. Once she received those (qualifying) times, we didn鈥檛 press to be there,鈥� said Christy Menear. 鈥淟ast year, we tried to qualify in multiple events. This year we focused on what she would do the best.
鈥淚t wouldn鈥檛 be appropriate this year to qualify in five events. We kept her focused on what she did last year.鈥�
Christy Menear said her daughter benefited from the strong competition the Fillies鈥� Maria Mrosko and Elizabeth Thomas provided in her events, even though she was often in the far outside lane with an empty lane to her right.
鈥淓lla did have Maria and and Elizabeth in her peripheral vision, which helped her,鈥� said Menear. 鈥淲e really focused on the clock in virtual meets.
鈥淵ou have to be very focused in virtual meets, but we were excited to have competition in the lanes.鈥�
Christy Menear also praised how the swimmers dealt with everything surrounding the completion of the season during the pandemic.
鈥淲hat is so wonderful about these competitors is how they鈥檝e been so resilient. They pushed through and continued to improve,鈥� said Menear. 鈥淣ot to have the adrenaline rush you鈥檇 have in a live meet. You can鈥檛 replace the physical noise.鈥�