Northgate-Avonworth Swim & Dive had a full slate of meets in January but Old Man Winter had other ideas. Extreme temps, icy roads and deep snow caused multiple rescheduling and cancellations during the second half of the month. Before the arctic shellacking, however, our boys and girls teams completed three meets, skating to double sweeps in the first two against 3A Mars Area/North Catholic and Freeport Area HS. Then both of our "Flame-a-lope" squads, short several top swimmers, slipped into the loss column against perennial rival, Shady Side Academy, whose boys and girls remain undefeated. (All three meets recapped below.) Just days after the loss, however, Freshman diver Simon Buzzard warmed the road ahead with his impressive WPIAL-qualifying diving performance, covered in our January 21 article. 

February, packed with important regular and post-season meets, kicks off at home against a capable Knoch team (2/3), followed by an away meet at Highlands (2/5), Senior Night (2/9) against Blackhawk, also in the midst of co-ed winning seasons, and the final regular season meet (2/12) at rival Hampton who, like Shady Side Academy, boasts undefeated co-ed squads in our highly competitive Section 3, a 2A section as strong as any in the WPIAL.

On the heels of the regular season, qualifying swimmers from Northgate will take on 15 teams from the Ohio Valley and beyond at the at the MAC (Mid Allegheny Conference) Swimming Championship (2/14), held at West Allegheny. Northgate, in its first time at the MAC, will compete against both 3A and 2A high schools from as close as Quaker Valley and as far away as New Castle. The final meet of the month is the WPIAL Championships (2/27-28), where our qualifying boys and girls will compete against swimmers from 40 or so high schools of Southwestern PA. Seventeen Flame-a-lopes qualify for WPIALS thus far, and many more for the MAC. 

Jan. 4: NG at 3A Mars Area-North Catholic. Boys W 56-38, Girls W 62-32

Northgate-Avonworth had the upper hand over fellow co-op Mars-North Catholic, taking first in 21 of 24 total events, despite many individual time drops by Mars-NC. Senior Sam Cavanaugh and Sophomores Grey McKelvey, JoAnn Cook, and Addie Hase all captured first place in all four of their respective events.

Due to limited deck space fans lined up in chairs along the edge of the pool, giving them an exciting close-up view of all the races, plus an occasional splash or two! Two tense 50 Freestyle events were the narrowest wins for our boys and girls, with Liam Joyce besting Gavin Best by a mere 0.16 seconds and Grace Caulkins edging teammate and fellow freshman Aubrey Persson by 0.49. In the gruelling 500 Free, the longest event, NG's Kaitlyn Klaum kept a small but steady lead over Sarah Smith, topping Smith by just 4.59 seconds with a time of 5:47.37. Our Super Sophomores, as usual, nailed great times throughout the meet, while every class contributed helpful points toward the victory.

The team was fast at the meet, but even faster at the poolside spiral slide, where every swimmer had the chance to celebrate afterwards!

First Place NG Finishes in order they occurred at meet (* indicates WPIAL qualifying time): 

• Girls 200 Medley Relay. 2:01.47*. Cook, Buzzard, Campbell, Hase
• Boys 200 Medley Relay. 1:42.26*. McKelvey, Cavanaugh, Vranick, Parker
• Girls 200 Freestyle. 2:04.79*. Addison Hase, So.
• Boys 200 Freestyle. 1:47.66* Grey McKelvey, So.
• Girls 200 Individual Medley (IM). 2:26.67*. Rachel Buzzard, Jr.
• Boys 200 IM. 2:07.63*. Sam Cavanaugh, Sr.
• Girls 50 Free. 28.29. Grace Caulkins, Fr.
• Boys 50 Free. 24.51. Liam Joyce, Jr.
• Girls 100 Free. 57.20*. JoAnn Cook, So.
• Boys 100 Free. 53.34. Sam Cavanaugh, Sr.
• Girls 500 Free. 5:47.37*. Kaitlyn Klaum, So.
• Boys 500 Free. 5:47.40. Liam Joyce, Jr.
• Girls 200 Free Relay. 1:49.93*. Campbell, Buzzard, Hase, Cook
• Girls 100 Backstroke. 1:08.09. Lila Caulkins, Fr.
• Boys 100 Backstroke. 58.85*. Grey McKelvey, So.
• Girls 100 Breaststroke. 1:14.64*. Kaitlyn Klaum, So. (dropped time)
• Boys 100 Breaststroke. 1:04.87*. Nate Parker, Jr.
• Girls 400 Free Relay. 4:07.28*. Hase, G. Caulkins, Campbell, Cook
• Boys 400 Free Relay. 3:40.67*. Cavanaugh, Joyce, Vranick, McKelvey

Other WPIAL Qualifying Finishes:

• Girls 200 Free. 2:08.10*. 2nd Place. Grace Caulkins, Fr.
• Boys 200 Free. 1:58.99*. 4th Place. Jakob Vranick, Sr.
• Boys 200 IM. 2:11.69*. 2nd Place.  Nate Parker, Jr.

Swimmers who dropped time in other events included Freshmen Simon Buzzard (100 Butterfly) and Mavis Meagher (100 Free), plus Juniors Jameson Conway (100 Butterfly) and Emma Gratner (100 Breaststroke). 

Others contributing points to the victory included Conor Blaser, Mohamed Abouwafia, Billy Petrina, Jake Schmiedlin, Kaitlyn Bates and Aubrey Persson. 

Jan. 13: Freeport Area HS at NG. Boys W 109-39, Girls W 92-70

Freeport arrived at Northgate ready to challenge the Flame-a-lopes, and they immediately grabbed first place in the first two events, the 200 Medley Relays. But the smaller Yellowjackets team simply could not outswim the larger, faster Flame-a-lopes team, which took first in 18 of 24 events. Three exciting battles led the many highlights of the contest. The first was sophomore Jake Schmiedlin's wild duel with Grant Hassler for second place in the 200 IM. Jake and Grant traded close leads until the final freestyle leg, where Schmiedlin took it home to the final touch, edging Hassler by just 0.84 seconds. Exciting as that was, no event could top the thrilling battle between NG's Aubrey Persson and Freeport's Fionna Berkowski in the 500 Free. The two ran neck and neck the entire 20 lengths of the pool, paired with a deafening crescendo of cheers in the final length. Aubrey would nip her opponent by a mere 0.69 seconds in a race that ran over six minutes. Loud, short and almost as sweet was Nate Parker's amazingly rare, first-place tie in the 50 Free at 23.85 with Yellowjacket standout Eli Hassler.   

First Place NG Finishes in order they occurred at meet (* indicates WPIAL qualifying time): 

• Girls 200 Free. 2:07.50*. Kaitlyn Klaum, So. (dropped time)
• Boys 200 Free. 1:57.07*. Nate Parker, Jr. (dropped time)
• Boys 200 IM. 2:22.13. Simon Buzzard, Fr. (dropped time)
• Boys 50 Free. 23.89*. Nate Parker, Sr.. (dropped time)
• Girls 100 Butterfly. 1:02.20*. JoAnn Cook, So. (tied seed time)
• Boys 100 Butterfly. 56.22*. Sam Cavanaugh, Sr.
• Girls 100 Free. 58.61*. Addison Hase, So.
• Boys 100 Free. 49.45*. Grey McKelvey, So. (dropped time)
• Girls 500 Free. 6:09.56. Aubrey Persson, Fr. (dropped time)
• Girls 200 Free Relay. 1:49.10*. Hase, Klaum, Cook, Buzzard
• Boys 200 Free Relay. 1:37.69*. McKelvey, Cavanaugh, Parker, Vranick
• Girls 100 Backstroke. 1:00.14*. JoAnn Cook, So.
• Boys 100 Backstroke. 1:01.94*. Sam Cavanaugh, Sr.
• Boys 400 Free Relay. 3:41.38*. Parker, Joyce, Petrina, Abouwafia

Other WPIAL Qualifying Finishes:

• Girls 200 Medly Relay. 2nd Place. 2:00.41*. Cook, Caulkins, Hase, Caulkins
• Girls 200 Free. 2nd Place. 2:08.06*. Rachel Buzzard, Jr.
• Girls 200 IM. 2nd Place. 2:20.11*. Addison Hase, So. (dropped time)
• Girls 200 IM. 3rd Place. 2:22.54*. Lila Caulkins, Fr.
• Girls 100 Butterfly. 2nd Place. 1:05.01*. Kaitlyn Klaum, So. (dropped time)
• Boys 100 Free. 2nd Place. 51.52*. Jakob Vranick, Sr. (dropped time)
• Boys 100 Breaststroke. 2nd Place. 1:08.96*. Grey McKelvey, So. (dropped time)
• Girls 400 Free Relay. 2nd Place. 3:56.65*. Klaum, L. Caulkins, G. Caulkins, Buzzard

Swimmers who dropped time in other events included: Juniors Jameson Conway (100 Butterfly, 100 Back), Emma Gratner (500 Free), Liam Joyce (100 Butterfly); Sophomores Jake Schmiedlin (200 IM), Billy Petrina (50 Free,100 Back), Carter Spahr (500 Free), Bridget Campbell (100 Breaststroke), Mohamed Abouwafia (100 Breaststroke); Freshmen Aubrey Persson (50 Free), Roman Sauter (50 Free), Simon Buzzard (100 Butterfly), Mavis Meagher (500 Free), Lila Caulkins (100 Free), Grace Caulkins (100 Back). 

Others pitching in points for the win were Conor Blaser, Taylor Baldauff, Bavly Naklah, Kaitlyn Bates and Dylan Puck.  

Jan. 15: NG at Shady Side Academy. Boys L 70-92, Girls L 75-93

Even a tough loss can have a silver lining or two. When Northgate-Avonworth stepped on to the deck of the historic, impressive Alumni Pool, they found themselves outnumbered 33 to 23, and short several top swimmers. Shady Side Academy, our biggest rival, was undefeated in Section 3, just like the Flame-a-lopes. But against the full bite of the Bulldogs, an outnumbered NG had to dig down deep and swim their very best, and then some. That we did, dropping lots of time throughout the meet and capturing either first or second place in 17 out of 24 events, even though US Open Finalist Ava Jochims took first in every event she competed in for the Bulldogs. That's one silver lining. By the rowdy raucus in the grandstand, you would have thought Northgate was winning. But these successes unfortunately did not yield nearly enough points to win the meet. NG lost. 

Another silver lining was the strong performance of Jakob Vranick, who won two individual events and the biggest relay of all. That event, the Boys 400 Free Relay, the final one of the evening, was the undoubtedly the silverest of linings--and one wild race! At the starter's horn, Liam Joyce launched the first leg and, from that point on, Northgate kept a razor thin lead over the Bulldogs, who threatened to overtake them with every fierce stroke in the very next lane. Liam won his leg, then so did Mohamed Abouwafia, then so did Nate Parker, and finally it was down to anchor, Jakob Vranick. Jake launched a terrific dive off his block, fighting off Caden Zhao, the all-stater who never faltered in his attack on the leader. But Zhao could not turn the tide, and Jake won the relay by a single, full stroke, and by 1.22 seconds. From all the cheering, one would have guessed we'd just won a Super Bowl!  Far, far from it, but it was still an unforgettable moment for the ages, despite the tough loss. 

First Place NG Finishes in order they occurred at meet (* indicates WPIAL qualifying time):

• Boys 200 Free. 1:51.19*. Jakob Vranick, Sr.
• Boys 200 IM. 2:05.86*. Nate Parker, Jr. (dropped time)
• Boys 100 Butterfly. 56.17*. Jakob Vranick, Sr. (dropped time)
• Girls 100 Breastroke. 1:09.16*. Rachel Buzzard, Jr. (dropped time)
• Boys 400 Free Relay. 3:28.18*. Joyce, Abouwafia, Parker, Vranick
• Boys 400 Free Relay, First Leg. 52.28*. Liam Joyce (dropped time)

Other WPIAL Qualifying Finishes:

• Girls 200 Free. 2nd Place. 2:03.97*. Grace Caulkins, Fr. (dropped time)
• Girls 200 IM. 2nd Place. 2:17.95*. Kaitlyn Klaum, So. (dropped time)
• Girls 200 IM. 3rd Place. 2:20.08*. Lila Caulkins, So. (dropped time)
• Girls 200 IM. 4th Place. 2:21.89*. Rachel Buzzard, Jr.
• Girls 100 Butterfly. 2nd Place. 1:04.48*. Bridget Campbell, So. (dropped time)
• Boys 100 Free. 2nd Place. 52.96*. Liam Joyce, Jr. 
• Boys 200 Free Relay. 2nd Place. 1:35.65*. Petrina, Joyce, Parker, Vranick
• Girls 400 Free Relay. 2nd Place. 4:02.52.* Campbell, Klaum, Buzzard, L. Caulkins

Swimmers who dropped time in other events included: Juniors Liam Joyce (50 Free), Emma Gratner (100 Free), Jameson Conway (100 Butterfly), Bavly Naklah (100 Free); Sophomores Mohamed Abouwafia (100 Butterfly), Billy Petrina (100 Free), Jake Schmiedlin (50 Free), Carter Spahr (100 Back); Freshmen Kaitlyn Bates (50 Free), Mavis Meagher (100 Free, 100 Back) and Simon Buzzard (100 Breaststroke).

Conor Blaser competed while under the weather, ensuring that his relay teammates could compete. He also contributed helpful points to the Northgate score. Pat on the back to Conor!

Northgate-Avonworth Swim Team Info (Roster, WPIAL Qualifiers, Wins/Losses, Stats & More)

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Move over, WPIAL divers. Make way for Simon!  

After a season without it, the “Dive” in Northgate-Avonworth Swim & Dive is back on track, big time, thanks to Freshman Simon Buzzard and new Diving Coach Greg Buzzard (who doubles as Simon’s dad). In a stellar performance this week at Beaver Area High School, Simon qualified for the WPIAL Diving Championships, to be held at North Allegheny HS on February 20. Buzzard secured his spot by scoring an impressive 178.80 points, surpassing the qualifying threshold of 160.0.

Buzzard needed to earn not only 160.0 points, but also a Degree of Difficulty (DD) of 9.0 for his optional dives. He achieved both, executing a difficult optional list that totaled 9.0 DD.

“Simon settled in nicely as he progressed through his dives," said Coach Greg. "He crushed his two hardest dives.”

Those "hardest dives" were crucial to his success. Buzzard executed a Forward 2 Somersault Tuck (104C), earning 46.2 points, and a Forward 1 Somersault 1 Twist (5122D), which netted 32.78 points.

“Simon worked really hard in practice ahead of the meet," the coach noted. "He had to add two new dives to bring up the degree of difficulty, and his practice paid off. It was nice to see him do his hardest dives the best.”"

Though he’s been swimming competitively since 2018, the freshman has been diving for only three years, and solely with Steel City Aquatics. His rapid progress is a testament to his dedication. Meanwhile, Coach Greg has been observing closely, learning as much as he can from the Steel City diving coach.

“It’s interesting coaching your son,” said Coach Greg. “You want him to do well, but you also have to challenge him to do those harder dives. He’s been really good with the feedback I’ve provided and with making adjustments."  

“We work together to come up with the dives and an order that works. We are now discussing what 11 dives he’ll do, and the order of those dives, since he qualified for the WPIAL Diving Championship.”

Simon Buzzard’s Qualifying Dive List

Below are the dives performed by Buzzard, including their Degree of Difficulty (DD) and scores.

Voluntary Dive

• 5121D: Forward 1 Somersault, ½ Twist – 20.4 points

Optional Dives (Total DD: 9.0)

• 302C: Reverse 1 Somersault (Tuck) – DD: 1.6 – 27.6 points
• 103C: Forward 1 ½ Somersault (Tuck) – DD: 1.6 – 27.6 points
• 104C: Forward 2 Somersaults (Tuck) – DD: 2.2 – 46.2 points
• 5122D: Forward 1 Somersault, 1 Twist (Free) – DD: 1.9 – 32.78 points
• 202A: Back 1 Somersault (Straight) – DD: 1.7 – 24.22 points

Northgate-Avonworth Swim Team Info (Roster, Wins/Losses, WPIAL Qualifiers & More)

Even the bitter cold December weather was no match for a sizzling Northgate-Avonworth Swim & Dive team. 

After a season opener sweep of Quaker Valley, our “Flame-a-lopes” racked up two more sweeps and a hard-fought split, ending the month with a 4-0 overall record for the boys and 3-1 overall for the girls. Both squads remain undefeated in Class 2A competition.

Of our roster of 27 swimmers, 16 have already qualified for the upcoming WPIAL Championships (February 27-28), while all 27 have chipped in helpful points to the winning cause. Victories and performances like these don’t come easy, however. Our team puts in long, grueling practice sessions, and many of our Flame-a-lopes train and compete 10-12 months a year. See the results of this hard work in the recaps below.

Dec. 8: NG at Seneca Valley HS. Boys W 94-82, Girls L 103-78

Northgate-Avonworth headed north on I-79 take on Seneca Valley, a 3A power with a large, impressive roster and a world class aquatics center. The Raiders found a worthy, well-matched opponent in 2A Northgate, though the SV girl’s squad had the key advantage of a full complement of divers, versus Northgate girls, with no divers. This proved to be an unsurmountable advantage for SV, though our girls matched the Raiders nearly point for point in the swimming portion of the meet. Conversely, our boys swam neck and neck with SV throughout the contest but topped the Raiders by 12 points, a margin that would have been much narrower had it not been for the surprisingly strong performance of our lone diver, freshman Simon Buzzard.

It was an outstanding effort by all, but Buzzard’s diving success was perhaps the biggest highlight of the meet. Simon, the younger brother of Rachel Buzzard, is a longtime swimmer himself, but he’s been diving for only two years. Despite his novice status, the diver shined like a veteran, earning six total points for his six dives, and every point mattered at this meet.

First Place NG Finishes in order they occurred at meet (* indicates WPIAL qualifying time):

• Girls 200 Freestyle. 2:00.06*. JoAnn Cook, So.
• Boys 200 Freestyle. 1:45.77* (dropped time). Grey McKelvey, So.
• Girls 200 Individual Medley (IM). 2:30.16* (dropped time). Kaitlyn Klaum, So.
• Boys 200 IM. 2:08.79* (dropped time). Nate Parker, Jr.
• Boys 50 Freestyle. 22.56* (dropped time). Sam Cavanaugh, Sr.
• Boys 1 Meter Diving. 160.55 score. Simon Buzzard, Fr.
• Girls 100 Butterfly. 1:02.20* (dropped time). JoAnn Cook, So.
• Boys 100 Butterfly. 56.59* (dropped time). Jakob Vranick, Sr.
• Boys 100 Freestyle. 48.45*. Sam Cavanaugh, Sr.
• Girls 500 Freestyle. 5:16.95* (dropped time). Addison Hase, So.
• Boys 200 Free Relay. 1:31.47*. McKelvey, Parker, Vranick & Cavanaugh
• Girls 100 Backstroke. 1:06.80*. Lila Caulkins, Fr.
• Girls 100 Breaststroke. 1:12.41*. Rachel Buzzard, Jr.
• Boys 100 Breaststroke. 1:03.65*. Nate Parker, Jr.
• Girls 400 Free Relay. 3:49.30*. Campbell, Hase, G. Caulkins, Cook

Other WPIAL Qualifying Finishes:

Girls 200 Medley Relay, 2^nd place. 2:00.23*. L. Caulkins, Buzzard, Klaum, Hase
Boys 200 Medley Relay, 2^nd place. 1:50.24*. Joyce, Blaser, Abouwafia, Petrina
Boys 200 Freestyle, 3^rd place. 1:50.65* (dropped time). Jakob Vranick

Swimmers who dropped time in other events included Billy Petrina (200 IM), Addison Hase (50 Free), Conor Blaser (50 Free), Bavly Naklah (50 Free), Liam Joyce (100 Back), Carter Spahr (100 Back), and Kaitlyn Klaum (100 Breaststroke).

Dec. 15: West Allegheny HS at NG. Boys W 94-75, Girls W 83.5-81.5

When the formidable Indians of “West Ally,” perennial Section 2 contenders, headed back to Northgate for the first time in years, they had every intention of bringing home at least one victory against a Flame-a-lopes team of similar talent and grit. WA brought a large vocal contingent of fans who rivaled the cheering of the enthusiastic bleacher bums of Northgate-Avonworth. It made for a perfect storm of noise and excitement!

From the very first event—the Girls 200 Medley Relay—the girls’ score remained too close to call. Northgate’s Addie Hase took on WA’s tough anchor, Lilly Brumbaugh, in the final, freestyle leg of the medley relay, edging Brumbaugh by just 0.35 seconds. It was an epic start to an epic battle that would come down to just two points—in our favor.

The WA boys, led by senior Alex Aivalotis, fought Northgate tooth and nail, but our boys came out on top because, like our girls, every single one of them scored points for the team.   

First Place NG Finishes in order they occurred at meet (* indicates WPIAL qualifying time):

• Girls 200 Medley Relay. 200.98*. Cook, Buzzard, Campbell, Hase
• Boys 200 Medley Relay. 1:42.94*. McKelvey, Cavanaugh, Parker, Vranick
• Boys 200 Individual Medley (IM). 2:12.01*. Jakob Vranick (dropped time)
• Girls 50 Freestyle. 27.58. Lila Caulkins
• Boys 50 Freestyle. 24.28. Liam Joyce (dropped time)
• Boys 100 Freestyle. 52.22*. Jakob Vranick
• Girls 200 Freestyle Relay. 1:53.03. G. Caulkins, Hase, Cook, Klaum
• Boys 200 Freestyle Relay. 1:37.19. McKelvey, Joyce, Abouwafia, Cavanaugh
• Girls 100 Back. 1:09.07. Rachel Buzzard (dropped time)
• Boys 400 Freestyle Relay. 3:31.48*. Vranick, Parker, McKelvey, Cavanaugh

Other WPIAL Qualifying Finishes:

• Boys 100 Butterfly, 2^nd 54.73*. Grey McKelvey (dropped time)
• Boys 500 Freestyle, 2^nd 5:20.75*. Nate Parker (dropped time)
• Boys 100 Breaststroke, 2^nd 59.06. Sam Cavanaugh (dropped time)

Swimmers who dropped time in other events included Mohamed Abouwafia (200 Free and 100 Breaststroke), Billy Petrina (50 Free), Rachel Buzzard (500 Free), Liam Joyce (100 Back), JoAnn Cook (100 Breaststroke). Other Flame-a-lopes who contributed crucial points to the victory included Taylor Baldauff, Kaitlyn Bates, Emma Gratner, Mavis Meagher, Bavly Naklah, Aubrey Persson, Dylan Puck and Roman Sauter.  

Dec. 18: Carrick HS at NG. Boys W 125-27, Girls W 64-16

Northgate-Avonworth outnumbered and outgunned a Carrick High Raiders team, short on swimmers but full of heart. The Flame-a-lopes dropped more times, qualified for more WPIAL events, and notched another sweep.

First Place NG Finishes in order they occurred at meet (* indicates WPIAL qualifying time):

• Girls 200 Medley Relay. 2:20.06. Hase, Bates, G. Caulkins, L. Caulkins
• Boys 200 Medley Relay. 1:54.78. Vranick, Parker, Schmiedlin, McKelvey
• Girls 200 Freestyle. 2:07.35*. Grace Caulkins
• Boys 200 Freestyle. 2:12.91. Billy Petrina
• Girls 200 IM. 2:21.08*. Addison Hase (dropped time)
• Boys 200 IM. 1:56.44*. Sam Cavanaugh
• Girls 50 Freestyle. 27.04. JoAnn Cook
• Boys 50 Freestyle. 25.68. Mohamed Abouwafia
• Girls 100 Butterfly. 1:06.06*. Bridget Campbell
• Boys 100 Butterfly. 59.60. Nate Parker
• Girls 500 Freestyle. 7:14.63. Taylor Baldauff
• Boys 500 Freestyle. 5:22.01*. Jakob Vranick
• Girls 200 Freestyle Relay. 2:10.40. Meagher, Bates, Baldauff, Buzzard
• Boys 200 Freestyle Relay. 1:45.40. Buzzard, Naklah, Petrina, Vranick
• Boys 100 Back. 58.01*. Sam Cavanaugh
• Girls 100 Breaststroke. 1:12.75*. Addison Hase (dropped time)
• Boys 100 Breaststroke. 1:12.41. Grey McKelvey
• Girls 400 Free Relay. 4:24.85. Cook, Gratner, Campbell, L. Caulkins
• Boys 400 Free Relay. 3:57.99. Abouwafia, Naklah, McKelvey, Vranick

One other WPIAL Qualifying Finish: Girls 200 IM, 2^nd place. 2:21.57*. Lila Caulkins

Swimmers who dropped time in other events included Jake Schmiedlin (200 IM), Kaitlyn Klaum (100 Free), Jameson Conway (100 Free), Mohamed Abouwafia (500 Free), Bridget Campbell (100 Back), Nate Parker (100 Back), and Billy Petrina (100 Back).

REMAINING MEETS (All HOME meets held at Northgate HS)

1/4/26                     AWAY vs Mars HS (@ Rose E. Schneider YMCA, 1 pm)
1/8/26                     AWAY vs Deer Lakes HS, 6 pm
1/13/26                   HOME vs Freeport HS, 6 pm
1/15/26                    AWAY vs Shady Side Academy, 6 pm
1/20/26                    HOME vs South Park HS, 6 pm
1/28/26                    HOME vs Knoch HS, 6 pm
2/3/26                      HOME vs Keystone Oaks HS, 6 pm
2/5/26                      AWAY vs Highlands HS, 6 pm
2/9/26                      HOME vs Blackhawk HS, 6 pm

 

2/14/26                    MAC (Midwest Athletic Conference) Championships, 10 am
                                West Allegheny HS, Imperial

 

2/26-2/27/26           WPIAL Swimming Championships, Pitt

 

3/13-3/14/26           PIAA State Swimming Championships, Bucknell U

 

Northgate-Avonworth Swim Team Info (Roster, Wins/Losses, Stats & More)

 

Northgate students in grades 5-8 are invited to sign up for Your World, Your Rules, an exciting 15-week after-school program offered by Arts Greenhouse. Led by CMU teaching artists, the program combines creativity, teamwork, and hands-on learning with snacks, prizes, guest speakers, and fun team games.

Students will explore big questions such as:

• How do we make fair laws?
• What responsibilities do we have to our community?
• How do we treat people who are different from us?
• What happens when our society faces a challenge?

Through drawing, model-making, storytelling, and democratic processes, participants will design an entire imaginary society from the ground up, including its culture, laws, language, currency, and environment. As citizens of their societies, students will create artworks that reflect their community’s values.

Once the society is “up and running,” they’ll put it to the test against challenges like alien invasions, pandemics, fast fashion, and more, learning problem-solving and critical thinking along the way.

Your World, Your Rules is a unique opportunity for Northgate students to create, imagine, and lead while building collaboration and civic awareness in a fun, interactive setting.

Register here!

Northgate School District is seeking motivated and dedicated coaches to join our football program for the upcoming season.

Open Positions:

• Defensive Coordinator
• Varsity Assistant Coach
• Varsity Assistant Coach

Applicants should be committed to developing student-athletes and contributing to a competitive, team-oriented program.

Interested applicants should contact:
Todd Goble, Athletic Director
Todd.Goble@northgatesd.net

Local Allegheny County music teachers, Jessica Haberman (Northgate), Cyndi Mancini (Montour), Michael Buckstein (University of Pittsburgh), have been selected to join a marching band of more than 300 band directors from across North America in the Pasadena Rose Parade on January 1, 2026. The band will accompany a colorful, animated float along the 5.5-mile parade route.

The Saluting America’s Band Directors parade entry will convey the theme, “America’s band directors: We teach music. We teach life.” to recognize the extraordinary dedication and accomplishments of band directors and music educators everywhere. Throughout their careers, the music educators in this band have collectively mentored and taught hundreds of thousands of students. These professionals not only teach and conduct music, they teach about life itself.

As in 2022, the 2026 Band Directors Marching Band will accompany a float entitled “Banding Together.” The float-band entry is unique to Saluting America’s Band Directors. Crafted by Artistic Entertainment Services, the “Banding Together” float salutes all the students, teachers, and communities who band together to make music happen.

Through its theme, “America’s Band Directors: We teach music. We teach life”, the Saluting America’s Band Directors project aims to spotlight the extraordinary dedication and accomplishments of band directors everywhere. Regardless of where they teach and work—public and private schools, colleges and universities, the military, or community bands—dedicated music educators and leaders work long hours to not only teach and conduct music, but to impart critical life skills. Student lives in particular are positively changed by motivational leaders who teach, inspire and mentor them.

According to Haberman, “This will be my second time performing with the Band Directors Marching Band, and it is such an extreme honor to be selected to march and perform with a prestigious group of music educators from across the country.”

The band will be directed by nationally known music educator and innovative band director Jon Waters, who will also lead rehearsals and other performances of the band when in Pasadena.

The sponsoring organization behind the Saluting America’s Band Directors project is the Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation, based in Pickerington, Ohio. The foundation was created to recognize and carry on the work of the late Mike Sewell, who dedicated his life to the school and community music programs in Pickerington and the Central Ohio area for almost 40 years.