2011 USC Swimming: The Sweet Taste Of Victory

Upper St. Clair was once rich in swimming tradition. Section titles were abundant. State titles were achievable. That was before 1973.

Thirty-eight years later, a group of unsung athletes that grew up having no idea what it felt like to be part of that tradition, have returned it back to a community that loves their swimming.

The crowning moment of their WPIAL championship season was legendary. The Panthers had an overall 1/2 point lead over North Allegheny. Upper St. Clair's Kyle Dudzinski overcame a competitor on the final leg of the final relay of the meet. Watching the race wouldn't tell you the winner. Swimming the race, you didn't know who won. Everybody at the meet had their eyes up on the scoreboard. When it popped up that the Panthers beat North Allegheny by .12 seconds, Upper St. Clair had their first championship in 38 years.

Head coach Tom Donati engineered this amazing turnaround for Upper St. Clair swimming. His decisions are the reason he is presenting the 2011 WPIAL Championship trophy to athletic director Matt Mellinger on April 15. The first decision was knowing that it would take a group effort to win a championship.

In his second year as coach of the Panthers, Donati already turned the program around last year. Upper St. Clair's meteoric rise turned heads in the WPIAL last season. However, to make the next leap and win a championship took a collaborative effort of many.

"It wouldn't work without the help of all my coaches," Donati said as we looked up at banners and a record board that needs a lot of updating after their tremendous year.

Assistant coaches like Stacie Saffritt, Thomas Fletcher and Kevin McLaughlin give their time for the love of the program and the sport. Coach Donati said they are a big a part of USC's success. 

The Upper St. Clair swimming and diving team even has a yoga coach. Imagine trying to get a group of high school kids to buy into yoga twice a week. Kari Resler, who taught yoga to the team during the offseason, was right there to watch coach Donati and his team unite in jubilation when the scoreboard at the University of Pittsburgh's pool declared them WPIAL champion.

Was it the yoga that helped make Upper St. Clair a 1/2 point better than North Allegheny? Every little edge can make a difference in winning a championship.

For example, the time the seniors showed the underclassmen video of what it was like to lose at WPIAL's the year before.

Or the transition senior Charlie Mosca made from 40 pounds overweight, and barely able to finish a swim, to being a cog in the machine that is now Upper St. Clair swimming.

"Without him, we don't win," said coach Donati of Mosca.

The team realizes they need to thank a special group of seniors.

Kyle Dudzinski, James Frauen, Patrick Davis, Josh Russo, and Diver JT Perryman — who is as unsung as they get, and finished seventh in States — are a big reason for Upper St. Clair's success. They helped create a new level of expectation in the feeder programs — and they went out winning a championship.

During the PIAA Championship at Bucknell University last week, Kyle Dudzinski took third place in the 100 butterfly, and fourth in the 100 backstroke. In relays, Upper St. Clair took fourth in the 200 freestyle and fifth in the 200 medley.  On the girls' side, Natalie Johnsen also had a fifth place finish in states.

It's not quite time for Upper St. Clair to embrace a little down time before getting geared up for next season — ten Upper St. Clair swimmers will be competing in sectional meets at Virginia Tech starting Friday morning. 

Good luck Panthers!