Feb 15, 2023 3 min read

Most high school swimmers would consider just one of Ella Menear’s previous three seasons a career success.

The Mapletown senior is poised to win her third-straight WPIAL titles in the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke, setting the WPIAL record in the backstroke with her winning time of 54.10 seconds last year.

She followed up her performance in the district meet with a PIAA gold medal in the 200 IM and silver in the backstroke. Menear’s time in the backstroke also broke the PIAA mark although so did the gold medalist.

Despite all of her past successes, Menear realizes she can’t rest on her laurels as she prepares for her final run through the WPIAL and PIAA meets.

The WPIAL finals are March 2-3 at Pitt’s Trees Pool.

Menear still has the time to beat in the 100 backstroke after posting 57.41 seconds in a race held at Laurel Highlands on Dec. 14.

However, the most recent posting of the WPIAL Class AA performance list on Feb. 13 has Menear with the fourth-fastest time in the 200 IM of 2:07.91, also in the Dec. 14 meet.

She swam it one last time on Feb. 2 when she was honored along with Laurel Highlands’ swimmers, but was unable to improve on her time with her finish of 2:09.03.

“Tonight, I wanted to get the feel for for racing again,” said Menear. “I knew I wasn’t going to go super fast. I was looking to go faster than a 2:07, but sometimes it doesn’t work out like that.”

Mount Pleasant sophomore Lily King has posted the fastest time of 2:06.12. Northgate’s Elise Nardozzi sits second with a time of 2:07.31.

Both swimmers swam in freestyle events last year with Nardozzi winning the 200 freestyle and finishing second to King in the 100 freestyle. King sprinted her way to first in the 50 freestyle, as well.

Menear would prefer to enter the meet on March 2-3 at Pitt’s Trees Pool with the time to beat, but is not obsessed with doing so. All she’s looking for is a lane against the district’s best.

“So, I wanted to get the No. 1 seed back at the WPIALs, but I probably won’t swim again until the WPIAL meet,” Menear said after the Uniontown-Laurel Highlands meet on Feb. 6. “So, honestly, that doesn’t matter to me, my seeding won’t define me at what I do at WPIALs.

“What I do at (the meet) will define me.”

Menear, who will attend the University of Alabama in the fall, has about a month remaining in her high school swimming career, so she just wants to enjoy the ride to what she hopes is another couple solid WPIAL and PIAA meets.

“I’ve accomplished what I’ve wanted to do in my high school career. That doesn’t mean I’m satisfied with what I have done,” explained Menear. “I’m going into states and WPIALs, of course, wanting to win, but I’m also cherishing my time that I have left.

“So, I’m looking to have fun and maybe come up with a couple more golds.”

Menear continued, adding, “Honestly, when I go to Alabama, my coaches aren’t looking for me to win WPIALs or states.

“I always have a drive to win.”