Earlier this month, students in Northgate’s VOICES Club attended the Eradicate Hate Student Summit Reconvening, which took place on March 9 at Acrisure Stadium. This school-day event, organized by Eradicate Hate, the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU), the LIGHT Education Initiative, and The Tree of Life, brought together school districts from across southwestern Pennsylvania in collaboration with one another to spotlight student-led initiatives to prevent hate-fueled violence in their schools and communities.

This month’s event built upon last September’s Eradicate Hate Student Summit, which brought together more than 450 participants from 34 high schools and 28 organizations from across Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Butler County, Westmoreland County, and Pasadena, Texas. Following the Summit, schools each received a $1,000 grant thanks to the generous support of the Benedum Foundation and the Grable Foundation to design and deliver impactful programming on their campuses.

With that support, VOICES is helping create a living monument that embodies the work completed at the staff in-service training on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. During this training, staff, students, and community members collectively answered the question “What wishes do we have for our children?" and made commitments to how they will pursue them. In addition to this, VOICES is continuing to educate and learn from others with “Is It Fair?!”, a game designed to cultivate conversations around equity in schools.

The Reconvening provided a platform for students to share their accomplishments to date, as well as connected students to helpful resources and one another to further boost the reach and impact of their work.

"Addressing hate-fueled violence is a shared responsibility, and schools play a key role in that work,” said Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, who delivered a keynote address at the event. "What stood out to me at the Eradicate Hate Student Summit Reconvening was just how seriously our students are taking this issue. These young people are listening, learning, and actively working together to create real solutions in their schools and neighborhoods."

For school districts interested in bringing this learning experience to their own community or participating in the 2026 Eradicate Hate Student Summit, contact Nick Haberman at nicholas.haberman@aiu3.net.

About the Eradicate Hate Student Summit
The annual Eradicate Hate Student Summit in Pittsburgh is a one-day event that brings together high school students and educators to catalyze youth-led efforts to prevent hate-fueled violence. Coordinated by Eradicate Hate, the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU), the LIGHT Education Initiative, and The Tree of Life, the Student Summit empowers students to eradicate hate in their schools and communities by connecting them with survivors, providing access to youth-serving organizations, and launching student-led, peer-to-peer projects that continue throughout the school year.

The Northgate-Avonworth Swim & Dive team just captured a pot o' gold at WPIALS and now they're aiming for more of the same this week at States. 

The "Flame-a-lopes" not only walked away with the Boys 2A WPIAL Championship title and an impressive 4th Place girls team finish, but they also won a spectacular total of 20 medals, including four golds for senior Sam Cavanaugh, four for sophomore Grey McKelvey, one for sophomore JoAnn Cook, and two for the relay team of Cavanaugh, McKelvey, Nate Parker and Jakob Vranick. The WPIAL squad also shattered three team records. 

The "lucky 13" athletes making up the States Team head east this week, seeking even greater treasure at Bucknell University, home of the 2026 PIAA 2A State Swimming and Diving Championships, March 13-14. The Flame-a-lopes want to top their solid 2025 PIAA performance, where the boys took 6th place out of 57 teams, and the girls finished 17th out of 59. They also have sights set on another trove of medals, including golds. Twelve swimmers and one diver, freshman Simon Buzzard, intend to make that happen. 

Cavanaugh is top seed in both the 200 IM and the 500 Free. Sam is also part of the 200 Medley Relay and the 400 Freestyle Relay, along with Nate Parker, Jakob Vranick and Greyson McKelvey. The foursome is second seed in both of these relays. Another interesting piece in this great story: Cavanaugh will be swimming his last meet as a Flame-a-lope but will be continuing his swimming career this Fall as a Bucknell Bison! 

(Note: No swimmers can compete in more than four events, and none can compete in more than two individual events.)

States Team, in alphabetical order, with each member's events:

Rachel Buzzard, Jr. - 100 Breaststroke, 22nd seed. 200 Medley Relay, 15th seed. 200 IM, 17th seed. 200 Free Relay, 16th seed. 

Simon Buzzard, Fr. - Boys 1 Meter Diving, 22nd seed.

Bridget Campbell, So. - 50 Free, 29th seed. 200 Medley Relay, 15th seed. 400 Medley Relay, 8th seed. 

Grace Caulkins, Fr. - 500 Free, 29th seed. 200 Freestyle Relay, 16th seed. 400 Freestyle Relay, 8th seed

Lila Caulkins, Fr. - 200 IM, 23rd seed. 200 Free Relay, 16th seed.

Sam Cavanaugh, Sr. - 200 IM, top seed. 500 Free, top seed. 200 Medley Relay, 2nd seed. 400 Free Relay, 2nd seed.

JoAnn Cook, So. - 200 Free, 3rd seed. 100 Backstroke, 3rd seed. 200 Medley Relay, 15th seed. 400 Free Relay, 8th seed. 

Addison Hase, So. - 200 Free, 12th seed. 500 Free, 5th seed. 200 Free Relay, 16th seed. 400 Free Relay, 8th seed.

Liam Joyce, Jr. - Alternate for 200 Medley Relay and 400 Free Relay teams

Kaitlyn Klaum, So. - 200 IM, 16th seed. 200 Medley Relay, 15th seed.

Greyson McKelvey, So. - 200 Free, 4th seed. 100 Backstroke, 5th seed. 200 Medley Relay, 2nd seed. 400 Free Relay, 2nd seed.

Nate Parker, Jr. - 200 IM, 23rd seed. Boys 100 Breaststroke, 14th seed. 200 Medley Relay, 2nd seed. 400 Free Relay, 2nd seed.

Jakob Vranick, Sr. - 200 Free, 23rd seed. 100 Free, 23rd seed. 200 Medley Relay, 2nd seed. 400 Free Relay, 2nd seed.

Head Coach: Ashley Vranick, Assistant Coach: Sean Halpate

Good luck at States, Flame-a-lopes!

"Northgate came out and made a statement." -- Post-Gazette, February 26, 2026

And boy, did they ever! This first line of a PG article, posted just after the WPIAL 2A Swimming Championship, Day 1, just might be the understatement of the week.

Against swimmers from 44 high schools, many with larger teams, the boys from Northgate-Avonworth Swim & Dive captured the WPIAL Team Gold Medal and the WPIAL Championship Trophy, ending Indiana's two-year streak at the top. This is only the second WPIAL boys title in "Flame-a-lopes" history, and the first since 2018. Including their WPIAL Boys Team Gold Medals, senior Sam Cavanaugh and sophomore Greyson McKelvey each left Pitt's Joseph T. Trees Pool with five gold medals in hand. Senior Jakob Vranick and junior Nate Parker each followed with three WPIAL golds. With that much gold around their necks, rumor has it the foursome accepted a police escort to the post-WPIAL pizza party! 

The boys' great victory, however, did not come easy, though they dominated the first three boys events. With 15 points already on the board, courtesy of Simon Buzzard's WPIAL Diving Championship performance, the 200 Medley Relay team of McKelvey, Cavanaugh, Nate Parker, and Jakob Vranick blasted their opponents, dropping 2.66 seconds and topping second place Elizabeth Forward by more than 3 seconds. Next, McKelvey powered his way to his second gold in the 200 Free, and then Cavanaugh repeated his 2025 gold in the 200 IM. Northgate was off to an incredible start, leading by 35 points, but Indiana and our Section 3 rivals Hampton and Shady Side Academy scored well in the 50 Free, 100 Butterfly, and 200 Free Relay, cutting into the Flame-a-lope lead so much that Day 1 ended with NG leading only slightly over Indiana, 121-115, while Shady Side was knocking on the door with 110. 

Day 2 proved even more wild than the first, with Northgate and Indiana trading leads by the minute. The Indians, well stocked perennially with outstanding swimmers, simply weren't going to go down without a big fight. Indiana's Joshua Reed claimed his second gold of the meet in the 100 Free, while Cavanaugh and McKelvey grabbed golds in the 500 Free and 100 Back, respectively. As many expected, the score ended up so close that the entire meet came down to the final event, the 400 Freestyle Relay, the maker and breaker of champions, where the winner scores 40 points. NG was top seed, but only by a mere .48 seconds over the Indians. The contest was a toss-up, with either team a good bet to win. 

As the announcer introduced each team in the final, toughest heat of 400 Free relay, an intense, focused Sam Cavanaugh waved to our fans, all standing, clapping, pumping fists, cheers echoing throughout the cavernous natatorium. Sam stepped on to the Lane 4 block, right next to Indiana's Ali Ali. The buzzer sounded and Sam launched like a rocket, instantly taking a lead over Ali and the others, growing his lead bit by bit on every length of his 100 yards. Nate Parker launched next, digging out his fastest 100 ever, expanding the lead a bit further, as did Jakob Vranick and, finally, anchor Grey McKelvey, who absolutely killed the final 100, reaching the final wall almost five seconds ahead of Reed, Indiana's top sprinter. Our four boys, our whole team, our fans were all jumping, celebrating the big relay win and epic team victory! (Bonus: The four set a new school record in the 400 Free Relay.)        

"I knew the boys were fierce, driven and love their sport," said Head Coach Ashley Vranick. "They always have a plan and part of that plan was to win WPIALS this year. To see their drive to improve and keep pushing over the season, during each race--and then to see their goal come true--was unbelievable. It just shows them that all the work and sacrifices they made paid off."

While our boys made their "statement" loud and clear, our young girls team made a statement of their own, nailing 4th Place, far ahead of section rivals Hampton and Knoch, and neighbor Quaker Valley. Including sophomore JoAnn Cook's gold medal in the 200 Free, our Flame-a-lope girls racked up a total of nine medals, while shattering two team records. Not bad for a WPIAL team comprised only of underclassmen, including three freshmen, four sophomores and one junior!  

The entire Northgate-Avonworth WPIALS team walked away with an impressive 20 medals, 8 of them Golds, making them most likely the heaviest medal WPIAL team in Northgate-Avonworth Swim & Dive history.

Gold Medals List:

Boys 200 Medley Relay, McKelvey/Cavanaugh/Parker/Vranick, Seed 1:39.53, Final 1:36.87

Girls 200 Freestyle, JoAnn Cook, Seed 1:55.63, Final 1:53.09

Boys 200 Freestyle, Greyson McKelvey, Seed 1:45.77, Final 1:43.72

Boys 200 IM, Sam Cavanaugh, Seed 1:54.60, Final 1:50.77 

Boys 500 Freestyle, Sam Cavanaugh, Seed 4:47.15, Final 4:39.89

Boys 100 Back, Greyson McKelvey, Seed 53.20, Final 51.87

Boys 400 Free Relay, Cavanaugh/Parker/Vranick/McKelvey, Seed 3:20.21, 3:13.14 (Team Record)

Gold Medal for Boys Team: Simon Buzzard (Team Diver), Sam Cavanaugh, Liam Joyce, Greyson McKelvey, Nate Parker, Jacob Vranick

Other Medals:

Silver Medal, Girls 100 Backstroke, JoAnn Cook, Seed 57.97, Final 57.13 

Bronze Medal, Girls 500 Freestyle, Addison Hase, Seed 5:14.46, Final 5:11.57 (Team Record)

4th Place Medal, Boys 1 Meter Diving, Simon Buzzard, Entry 178.80, Final 269.70

5th Place Medal, Girls 200 Free Relay, Rachel Buzzard/Grace Caulkins/Lila Caulkins/Addison Hase, Seed 1:46.24, Final 1:43.59

5th Place Medal, Boys 100 Freestyle, Jakob Vranick, Seed 49.52, Final 48.81

5th Place Medal, Boys 100 Breaststroke, Nate Parker, 1:02.51, Final 59.96

5th Place Medal, Girls 400 Free Relay, Addison Hase/Grace Caulkins/Bridget Campbell/JoAnn Cook, Seed 3:49.30, Final 3:41.28

6th Place Medal, Girls 200 Medley Relay, JoAnn Cook/Rachel Buzzard/Kaitlyn Klaum/Bridget Campbell, Seed 1:57.96, Final 1:52.11

6th Place Medal, Girls 200 Freestyle, Addison Hase, Seed 2:00.42, Final 1:57.17

6th Place Medal, Boys 200 Freestyle, Jakob Vranick, Seed 1:50.65, Final 1:48.76 

6th Place Medal, Girls 200 IM, Kaitlyn Klaum, Seed 2:17.95, Final 2:15.91

7th Place Medal, Girls 200 IM, Rachel Buzzard, Seed 2:20.49, Final 2:15.97

Rachel Buzzard just missed making the podium in the 100 Breaststroke, but she broke the Northgate-Avonworth record (her own) with a time of 1:08.19. (Team Record)

Although they did not reach the podium, Liam Joyce and Aubrey Persson each dropped time in their respective events.

"I couldn't be more proud of this group," added Coach Ashley, "and we are all looking forward to States at Bucknell University."

The PIAA 2A Swimming and Diving Championships are set for March 13-14 at Bucknell U, Lewisburg, PA. States team TBA this week.

 

Freshman diver Simon Buzzard is heading to States! And he has a WPIAL medal to show for it. Meanwhile, 13 of his swimmer teammates are gearing up for battle at WPIALS this Thursday and Friday at Pitt.

Buzzard was the sole diver representing Northgate-Avonworth Swim & Dive at the diving segment of the WPIAL Swimming and Diving Championships, held at North Allegheny High School Friday, February 20. Simon completed 11 dives, earning his top score with his toughest dive of all, the "Forward 2 Somersaults, Tuck" dive, 2.2 DD (degree of difficulty). Simon captured a 4th Place Medal, earning him a berth in the upcoming Class AA PIAA Diving Championships, March 13, at Bucknell University. He is also the only WPIAL freshman diver to make the cut for States. Plus, the 15 points he earned for the "Flame-a-lope" boys will be an enormous help for his team, which had no divers last season. Congratulations Simon!
 
Following Simon's lead,13 of our swimmers will take on opponents from 40+ Southwestern Pennsylvania high school teams at the WPIAL Swimming Championships at Trees Pool, University of Pittsburgh, February 26-27. 
 
Our 2026 WPIALS Swim & Dive Team includes:
 
Rachel Buzzard, Jr.
Simon Buzzard, Fr. (Diving only)
Bridget Campbell, So.
Grace Caulkins, Fr.
Lila Caulkins, Fr.
Sam Cavanaugh, Sr.
JoAnn Cook, So.
Addison Hase, So.
Liam Joyce, Jr.
Kaitlyn Klaum, So.
Greyson McKelvey, So. (Northgate)
Nate Parker, Jr.
Aubrey Persson, Fr. (Northgate)
Jakob Vranick, Sr.
 
Our girls and boys teams have both had great seasons. The boys team, 11-1 overall, has more top seed times for WPIALS than any other team in the region. Of the 11 boys events at WPIALS, our Flame-a-lopes are top seed, incredibly, in five events. Sam Cavanaugh is top seed in two, the 200 IM and the 500 Free, and Greyson McKelvey is top seed in the 100 Backstroke. The relay team comprised of Cavanaugh, McKelvey, Parker and Vranick is top seed in both the 200 Medley Relay and 400 Free Relay. Meanwhile, our girls team, 9-3 overall, is a very tough opponent as well. JoAnn Cook, one of our "Super Sophomore" girls, is #2 seed in both the 200 Free and the 100 Backstroke.  
 
Best of luck at WPIALS, Flame-a-lopes!!

 

"There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in [our] heart[s]." -- Mahatma Gandhi

It was a momentous two weeks for Northgate-Avonworth Swim & Dive as we honored our four great seniors and closed out our regular season with a bang. Senior Night recognized and bid adieu to Taylor Baldauff, Conor Blaser, Sam Cavanaugh and Jakob Vranick. It's hard to put into words just how fun and inspiring it has been to watch them compete over the years. All four will be pursuing post secondary education next Fall, with Sam and Jakob continuing their competive smimming careers at Bucknell University and Westminster College, respectively. Both have garnered All-State honors, and Sam recently earned the rare and very distinguished honor of Academic All-American in Swimming. Conor, a solid breaststroker, competed at WPIALs in 2025. Plus, Taylor and Jakob have done a terrific job as team captains! 

We are grateful to our seniors for their many years of hard work and for being exemplary role models to younger athletes. And we ask that they never forget these wise words of the great Micheal Phelps:

“You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.”

The "Flame-a-lopes" started the month with a sweep of a solid Knoch High School team, followed by a sweep at Highlands High School, and then yet another sweep--double this time--on Senior Night against both Blackhawk and Deer Lakes (an unusual triangular meet, convened to make up for a wintry weather postponement). Northgate finished the regular season with a thrilling, back-and-forth split with fellow Section 3 power, Hampton, where our Boys 200 Medley Relay Team set a new pool record at the Hampton High Natatorium! More in the recaps below.

2025-26 Overall Record: Boys 11-1, Girls 8-3. Section 3 Record: Boys 5-1, Girls 4-2

Feb. 3: Knoch HS at NG. Boys W 86.5-76.5, Girls W 83-65

Well coached and always prepared, the Knights of Knoch High School came out swinging in the very first event, the Girls 200 Medley Relay, which ended in a dead heat and a virtual tie between Knoch and the Northgate A and B relay teams. In a sign of things to come, however, Northgate's A team anchor, Bridget Campbell, clocked in at 2:01.15, followed by NG's B team anchor, Grace Caulkins, at 2:01.70, and then Knoch anchor, Josephine Graper, at 2:01.92. That was pretty darn close, but the Flame-a-lopes proved too fast for the Knights as the meet progressed. In total Northgate would win eight of the 11 girls' events.  

On the boys side, one top highlight was the battle between Knoch senior standout Adrian Lavorini and NG sophomore Greyson McKelvey in the 200 Free. Lavorini fought hard but fell short of Grey's 1:46.07 time by 1.09 seconds. Knoch boys placed high in a lot of events but took first in just three of 11 events.

First Place NG Finishes in the order they occured during the meet (* indicates WPIAL qualifying time):

• Girls 200 Medley Relay. 2:01.15*. Cook, Buzzard, Klaum, Campbell
• Boys 200 Medley Relay. 1:40.13*. McKelvey, Cavanaugh, Parker, Vranick
• Girls 200 Free. 2:04.30*. Addison Hase, So.
• Boys 200 Free. 1:46.07. Greyson McKelvey, So
• Girls 200 Yard IM. 2:24.26*. Rachel Buzzard, Jr.
• Boys 200 Yard IM. 1:54.26*. Sam Cavanaugh, Sr.
• Girls 50 Free. 26.49*. JoAnn Cook, So.
• Girls 100 Free. 58.06*. Lila Caulkins, Fr. (dropped time)
• Boys 100 Free. 50.27*. Jakob Vranick, Sr. (dropped time)
• Girls 500 Free. 5:16.50*. JoAnn Cook, So. (dropped time)
• Boys 500 Free. 4:41.76*. Sam Cavanaugh, Sr. 
• Girls 200 Free Relay. 1:52.35. Klaum, Buzzard, G. Caulkins, Hase
• Boys 100 Backstroke. 53.66*. Greyson McKelvey, So. (dropped time)
• Girls 100 Breaststroke. 1:12.27*. Lila Caulkins, Fr. (dropped time)
• Girls 400 Free Relay. 3:55.21*. Hase, L. Caulkins, Campbell, Cook
• Boys 400 Free Relay. 3.21.15*. Cavanaugh, Parker, Vranick, McKelvey

Other WPIAL Qualifying Finishes:

• Boys 200 Free. 1:55.32*. 3rd Place. Liam Joyce, Jr.
• Girls 200 IM. 2:24.55*. 2nd Place. Kaitlyn Klaum, So.
• Girls 500 Free. 5:31.63*. 2nd Place. Grace Caulkins, Fr.
• Boys 100 Backstroke. 59.29*. 2nd Place. Jakob Vranick, Sr. (dropped time)
• Girls 100 Breaststroke. 1:12.83*. 2nd Place. Rachel Buzzard, Jr.

Swimmers who dropped time in other events included Mavis Meagher (200 Free, 100 Back), Carter Spahr (200 IM), Kaitlyn Bates (50 Free), Jake Schmiedlin (50 Free), Aubrey Persson (100 Butterfly, 100 Back), Billy Petrina (100 Free), and Dylan Puck (100 Breaststroke). Emma Gratner dropped a whopping 30.60 seconds in her 200 Free!

Others who pitched in points toward the victories included Simon Buzzard, Roman Sauter, Mohamed Abouwafia, Conor Blaser and Bavly Naklah.

Feb. 5: NG at Highlands HS. Boys W 109-49, Girls W 78-54

When our 26 Northgate-Avonworth swimmers arrived on the deck of the recently renovated Highlands HS Natatorium, they were facing a Golden Rams swim team of only 14 swimmers. Small as they were, they were big in talent and heart, and they put up a surprisingly good fight, winning six of the 22 events and capturing several second-place finishes. However, the Flame-a-lopes were just too much for the Rams, as they dominated most of the meet. Every one of our swimmers scored points in the winning cause. 

An interesting aspect of the evening was our coaches' relay strategy, which boosted the number and combinations of Flame-a-lopes qualifying for relays and potentially competing in the post season. This is part of the chess game high school swim coaches must play every year. 

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

• Girls 200 Medley Relay. 2:33.61. Meagher, Gratner, Bates, Baldauff
• Boys 200 Medley Relay. 2:07.23. Parker, Blaser, Buzzard, Sauter
• Girls 200 Free. 2:04.36*. JoAnn Cook, So.
• Boys 200 Free. 1:55.28*. Sam Cavanaugh, Sr.
• Girls 200 IM. 2:26.60*. Lila Caulkins, Fr.
• Boys 50 Free. 23.61*. Sam Cavanaugh, Sr.
• Girls 100 Butterfly. 1:08.49*. Addison Hase, So. (dropped time)
• Girls 100 Free. 59.45*. Grace Caulkins, Fr. (dropped time)
• Boys 500 Free. 5:17.95*. Greyson McKelvey, So. 
• Girls 200 Free Relay. 1:49.98*. Hase, Persson, G. Caulkins, Cook
• Boys 200 Free Relay. 1:37.85*. McKelvey, Abouwafia, Joyce, Parker
• Boys 100 Backstroke. 1:07.78. Liam Joyce, Jr.
• Girls 100 Breaststroke. 1:13.87*. Rachel Buzzard, Jr.
• Boys 100 Breaststroke. 1:19.23. Billy Petrina, So.
• Girls 400 Free Relay. 4:08.33*. Hase, G. Caulkins, Klaum, Buzzard

Other WPIAL Qualifying Finishes:

• Girls 200 Free. 2:08.24*. 2nd Place. Grace Caulkins, Fr.
• Boys 200 Free. 1:55.81*. 2nd Place. Jakob Vranick, Sr.
• Boys 50 Free. 23.90*. 3rd Place. Greyson McKelvey, So.
• Boys 50 Free. 23.97*. 4th Place. Jakob Vranick, Sr.
• Girls 200 Free Relay. 1:15.00*. 2nd Place. Buzzard, Klaum, L. Caulkins, Campbell
• Girls 100 Backstroke. 1:07.30*. 2nd Place. Lila Caulkins, Fr.
• Girls 100 Breaststroke. 1:15.52*. 2nd Place. JoAnn Cook, So. (dropped time)
• Girls 400 Free Relay. 4:13.01*. 2nd Place. Campbell, Persson, L. Caulkins, Cook
• Boys 400 Free Relay. 3:43.41*. 3rd Place. Vranick, Joyce, Petrina, Parker

Swimmers who dropped time in other events included Kaitlyn Bates (200 IM), Mavis Meagher (50 Free, 100 Free), Aubrey Persson (100 Butterfly), Bavly Naklah (100 Butterfly), Simon Buzzard (100 Free), Bridget Campbell (500 Free), Addie Hase (100 Backstroke), Jake Schmiedlin (100 Breaststroke), and Carter Spahr (100 Breaststroke).

Dylan Puck pitched in helpful points toward the victory.  

Feb. 9: Blackhawk and Deer Lakes at NG. Boys W 105 (BH 55, DL 35), Girls W 111 (BH 44, DL 32)

Senior Night kicked off with a cool recognition ceremony for our fabulous foursome in their last home meet as Flame-a-lopes. Over the loudspeaker, Coach Greg told a bit about each of them, as each walked through a tunnel of teammates' arms raised high, before meeting their family members for a stroll alongside the pool, in front of the bleachers. The walk ended at an archway of balloons, where each paused for final photos and hugs, and then got back to the task at hand--taking on two high school teams in waiting. 

To start the meet, the Northgate boys' and girls' squads each nailed first place decisively in the 200 Medley Relay. And they never looked back. In a fitting tribute to the seniors Conor, Jakob, Sam and Taylor, the Flame-a-lopes went on to win all but one event, that is, 21 of 22. Here's a small sample of the many great performances, too numerous to cover. Freshman Simon Buzzard captured First Place in the 500 Free and dropped a killer 30.34 seconds off his seed time. Next, the Northgate girls' B relay team of Meagher, Persson, Bates and Baldauff grabbed Second Place in the 200 Free Relay, edging the Blackhawk A team by .33 seconds.  

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

• Girls 200 Medley Relay. 1:57.96*. Cook, Buzzard, Klaum, Campbell
• Boys 200 Medley Relay. 1:39.53*. McKelvey, Cavanaugh, Parker, Vranick
• Girls 200 Free. 1:55.63*. JoAnn Cook, So. (dropped time)
• Boys 200 Free. 1:46.16*. Greyson McKelvey, So. 
• Girls 200 IM. 2:21.10*. Lila Caulkins, Fr.
• Boys 200 IM. 2:13.67*. Nate Parker, Jr. 
• Girls 50 Free. 26.95. Bridget Campbell, So.
• Boys 50 Free. 22.95*. Jakob Vranick, Sr. (dropped time)
• Girls 100 Butterfly. 1:06.20. Aubrey Persson, Fr. (dropped time)
• Boys 100 Butterfly. 51.33*. Sam Cavanaugh, Sr. (dropped time)
• Girls 100 Free. 57.93*. Grace Caulkins, So. (dropped time)
• Boys 100 Free. 49.52*. Jakob Vranick, Sr. (dropped time)
• Girls 500 Free. 5:16.22*. Addison Hase, So. (dropped time)
• Boys 500 Free. 5:49.91. Simon Buzzard, Fr. (dropped time)
• Girls 200 Free Relay. 1:48.79*. Buzzard, L. Caulkins, G. Caulkins, Hase
• Girls 100 Backstroke. 57.97*. JoAnn Cook, So. (dropped time)
• Boys 100 Backstroke. 53.94*. Grey McKelvey, So.
• Girls 100 Breaststroke. 1:12.87*. Lila Caulkins, Fr.
• Boys 100 Breaststroke. 58.53*. Sam Cavanaugh, Sr. (dropped time)
• Girls 400 Free Relay. 3:52.06*. Hase, L. Caulkins, G. Caulkins, Cook
• Boys 400 Free Relay. 3:21.92*. Cavanaugh, Parker, Vranick, McKelvey 

Other WPIAL Qualifying Finishes:

• Girls 200 Free. 1:55.63*. 2nd Place. Grace Caulkins, Fr. (dropped time)
• Girls 200 IM. 2:23.77*. 2nd Place. Rachel Buzzard, Jr. 
• Girls 500 Free. 5:36.32*. 2nd Place. Kaitlyn Klaum, Fr. (dropped time)
• Girls 100 Breaststroke. 1:12.96*. 2nd Place. Rachel Buzzard, Jr.
• Girls 100 Breaststroke. 1:14.33*. 3rd Place. Kaitlyn Klaum, So. (dropped time)
• Boys 100 Breaststroke. 1:08.64*. 2nd Place. Nate Parker, Jr. 
• Boys 400 Free Relay. 3:42.76*. 2nd Place. Abouwafia, Joyce, Naklah, Buzzard

Swimmers who dropped time in other events included Dylan Puck (200 IM), Mavis Meagher (50 Free), Jake Schmiedlin (50 Free), Billy Petrina (100 Butterfly), Bavly Naklah (100 Butterfly), Emma Gratner (100 Free, 100 Backstroke), Roman Sauter (100 Free), and Aubrey Person (100 Backstroke).

Every NG swimmer pitched in helpful points toward the big victory. 

Feb. 12: NG at Hampton HS. Boys W 96-86, Girls L 84-96

No one expected this meet to be anything but a bare knuckles brawl between two fierce rivals with a history of facing off in high stakes regular season finales. By single digits, this meeting had determined in 2024 and 2025 just who would take home the girls' Section 3 Title and the handsome plaque that comes with it. It would go to Northgate in '24 and Hampton in '25, but it was anyone's guess who would capture it in '26. Led by standout twin sisters, Lainey and Libby Sheets, the Hampton "Talbots" intended to complete their season undefeated in section competition, but a stubborn Flame-a-lopes girls squad, led by our Super Sophomores and a great supporting cast, aimed to knock them off and end the season tied for first place. The Talbot girls had recently edged Shady Side Academy, the other girls' powerhouse of the section. With all hands on deck on both sides, it promised to be a fight to remember!

Like last year, the Talbot girls' big advantage was their diving team and the 10 points that it logged for them before the start of any swimming events. Northgate has not had a female diver since 2024. The other advantage was sheer numbers of swimmers, as Hampton had 19 girls, Northgate 12. So with 10 points and more swimmers in Hampton's arsenal, the swimming battle commenced. The Talbots nailed the very first event, the 200 Medley Relay, scoring 10 more points that quickly put them 20 points ahead. Instead of fading away, however, our tough Flame-a-lopes clawed back 12 points in the very next event, the 200 Free, with JoAnn Cook, Addie Hase and Grace Caulkins grabbing first, second and fourth place, respectively. This brutal back and forth fight would play out in the rest of the girl's events, keeping fans on the edge of their seats while their eyes locked on to the scoreboard showing updates of each team's score in real time. Northgate took first in most of the individual events, but Hampton won two of the three relays, all point-heavy, and they maximized their score by filling each relay with an A, B and C team. This made it tougher to close the gap further, despite two big wins and 12 points by sophomore Bridget Campbell (50 Free,100 Fly) and a big Northgate victory in the 200 Free Relay. When the water settled after the Girls 400 Free Relay, the Talbots had defeated the Flame-a-lopes 96-84, in a truly hard fought battle.

On the boys side, the Hampton's diving advantage shrunk to a single point thanks to the impressive work of freshman diver Simon Buzzard, who outscored two Hampton upperclassmen on the board. Northgate's swimming events kicked off with fireworks as our 200 Medley Relay team beat Hampton's A team by over 10 seconds. Even better, Coach Ashley reported the boys (Grey McKelvey, Sam Cavanaugh, Nate Parker, and Jakob Vranick) had just set a new pool record for the Hampton High School Natatorium, at a time of 1:39.39! Congratulations guys! With no diver advantage and only two more boys than Northgate, the Talbots spent most of the meet in a dead heat with the Flame-a-lopes. As it did for the girls, the meet came down to the final event, the 400 Free Relay, where Northgate nailed first and third places, scoring 10 points and ensuring a thrilling 95-86 victory. This earned the Flame-a-lopes the honor of runner up in Section 3, behind undefeated Shady Side Academy.

As usual, every single point counted in this meet and, once again, every single Flame-a-lope came through with points for the team. (More results/stats below.)

This season ending meet was also the last chance for Northgate swimmers to achieve qualifying times for the upcoming WPIAL Championship. At season's end, these boys qualified for at least one of the three relays, though not all qualifiers will be selected to swim at the championship meet: Mohamed Abouwafia, Conor Blaser, Sam Cavanaugh, Liam Joyce, Grey McKelvey, Bavly Naklah, Nate Parker, Billy Petrina, Jakob Vranick, and Simon Buzzard (also our sole diving qualifier). However, individual event qualifiers included only Cavanaugh, Joyce, McKelvey, Parker, and Vranick.  

Girls relay qualifiers include Bridget Campbell, Grace Caulkins, Lila Caulkins, JoAnn Cook, Addie Hase and Aubrey Persson. All six also qualified for at least one individual event. 

WPIAL Championship Dates: Diving, February 20, and AA Swimming, February 26-27.

PIAA Class AA Swimming Championships: March 13-14.  

Hampton Meet Stats

First Place NG Finishes in the order they occured during the meet (* indicates WPIAL qualifying time):

• Boys 200 Medley Relay. 1:39.39* (Pool Record). McKelvey, Cavanaugh, Parker, Vranick
• Girls 200 Free. 1:56.13*. JoAnn Cook, So.
• Boys 200 Free. 1:46.36* Grey McKelvey, So.
• Boys 200 IM. 1:58.12*. Sam Cavanaugh, Sr.
• Girls 50 Free. 25.99*. Bridget Campbell, So. (dropped time)
• Boys 50 Free. 23.89*. Liam Joyce, Jr. (dropped time)
• Girls 100 Fly. 1:05.10*. Bridget Campbell, So.
• Boys 100 Free. 50.29*. Jakob Vranick, Sr.
• Girls 500 Free. 5:14.46*. Addison Hase, So. (dropped time)
• Boys 500 Free. 4:47.15*. Sam Cavanaugh, Sr.
• Girls 200 Free Relay. 1:46.24*. Buzzard, L. Caulkins, G. Caulkins, Hase
• Boys 100 Backstroke. 53.20*. Grey McKelvey, So. (dropped time)
• Girls 100 Breaststroke. 1:09.56*. Rachel Buzzard, Jr. 
• Boys 100 Breaststroke. 1:02.51*. Nate Parker, Jr. (dropped time)
• Boys 400 Free Relay. 3:20.21*. Cavanaugh, Parker, Vranick, McKelvey

Other WPIAL Qualifying Finishes:

• Girls 200 Medley Relay. 1:55.05*. 2nd Place. Cook, Buzzard, Klaum, Campbell
• Girls 200 Free. 2:00.42*. 2nd Place. Addison Hase, So. (dropped time)
• Girls 200 Free. 2:04.74*. 4th Place. Grace Caulkins, Fr. (dropped time)
• Boys 200 Free. 1:57.47. 2nd Place. Jakob Vranick, Sr.
• Girls 200 IM. 2:18.74*. 2nd Place. Lila Caulkins, Fr. (dropped time)
• Girls 200 IM. 2:18.83*. 3rd Place. Kaitlyn Klaum, So.
• Girls 200 IM. 2:20.49*. 4th Place. Rachel Buzzard, Jr.
• Boys 200 IM. 2:08.12*. 3rd Place. Nate Parker, Jr.
• Girls 100 Butterfly. 1:05.65*. 3rd Place. Kaitlyn Klaum, So.
• Boys 100 Free. 52.45*. 2nd Place. Liam Joyce, Jr.
• Girls 500 Free. 5:36.81. 3rd Place. Grace Caulkins, Fr.
• Girls 100 Back. 59.22*. 2nd Place. JoAnn Cook, So
• Girls 100 Breaststroke. 1:11.45*. 2nd Place. Lila Caulkins, Fr. (dropped time)
• Girls 400 Free Relay. 3:51.60*. 2nd Place. Hase, L. Caulkins, Campbell, Cook

Others who dropped time included Emma Gratner (50 Free), Jake Schmiedlin (100 Fly), Dylan Puck (100 Fly), Kaitlyn Bates (100 Free, 100 Back), Mavis Meagher (100 Free), and Mohamed Abouwafia (100 Breaststroke). 

Taylor Baldauff and Carter Spahr each contributed helpful points for their teams. 

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

Northgate School District and The Chill Project are proud to announce a generous $20,000 donation from Bobby Rahal Automotive Group. The contribution was made possible through Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program and will directly support The Chill Project at Northgate.

The full amount of the donation will help underwrite costs and offset financial losses associated with implementing and sustaining The Chill Project. This investment ensures the program can continue providing meaningful opportunities and impactful experiences for students.

Representatives from Bobby Rahal Automotive, Northgate School District, and The Chill Project gathered for a meet and greet to celebrate the partnership and commemorate the contribution. The event highlighted the shared commitment to supporting innovative programs that benefit students and the broader school community.

Leaders at Bobby Rahal Automotive expressed great enthusiasm about the partnership, signaling that this donation may serve as the beginning of future opportunities to further strengthen The Chill Project.

Northgate School District extends its sincere gratitude to Bobby Rahal Automotive for their generosity and continued investment in student success.

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