West Virginia
Kiski Area senior swimmer chooses West Virginia | Trib HSSN
By:
Monday, October 17, 2022 | 5:19 PM
Parker Sterlitz made his first go to to West Virginia College a couple of 12 months in the past.
The senior swimming standout at Kiski Space mentioned he instantly fell in love with the campus and the Mountaineers swimming program.
Since then, Sterlitz mentioned, he checked out different colleges and located himself evaluating them to WVU.
He mentioned none of them had the resume to unseat WVU on the high of his checklist. So, a few weeks in the past, Sterlitz made up his thoughts and made a verbal dedication to swim for the Mountaineers.
“I’m past excited,” Sterlitz mentioned. “Final month, I took my official go to to WVU, and I spotted totally that that is the place I wished to be. The blokes on the group are nice, the tradition is wonderful. The second a roster spot was supplied to me, I took it, and I’m greater than excited. I can’t wait to start out the journey for the subsequent 4 years after highschool. It’s an amazing alternative, and I’m tremendous grateful.”
Sterlitz mentioned it all the time has been a dream of his to swim on the Division I stage.
“Ever since I used to be 10-12 years previous, every time swimming in school made sense to me, I used to be set on doing what I needed to do to make it to Division I,” he mentioned.
“My complete swimming profession, that is among the huge issues I’ve set my sights on. Sure, I prepare laborious for a bunch of various causes, however behind my thoughts, swimming on the highest stage in school has all the time been there. It’s been a dream of mine, and I’m so completely satisfied.”
Sterlitz mentioned he acquired an enormous enhance in direction of his resolution to attend WVU from Franklin Regional graduate and present WVU senior Conrad Molinaro, who final season represented the Mountaineers within the comfort finals of the 200-yard breaststroke and the 100 breast on the Huge 12 championships.
“Conrad helped get me down there for the primary time and received me related with the coaches,” Sterlitz mentioned.
“We’re actually shut. Simply on Thursday, I went down with him to look at the WVU-Baylor soccer sport. It was an amazing sport and an superior expertise. Conrad has performed rather a lot for me, and I actually recognize him.”
Sterlitz, who additionally swims membership with the Franklin Space Swim Staff, just lately earned choice to a scholastic All-American checklist with necessities of being a junior nationwide meet qualifier and possessing a 3.5 or higher GPA within the core courses.
“My (membership) teammate, Holden Thomas, who swims for Franklin (Regional), additionally certified for that checklist, and we’re fairly enthusiastic about that,” Sterlitz mentioned. “That’s one factor schools actually search for in recruiting. That is a vital mixture to have.”
Sterlitz earned his first qualifying lower (800 freestyle) for winter junior nationals, held each December, at a USA Swimming Futures occasion on the finish of July.
Sterlitz leaves Thursday for a coaching journey, with different high choose members of Allegheny Mountain Swimming, to USA Swimming’s Olympic Coaching Middle in Colorado Springs.
“It’s a fairly superior alternative to coach at such a tremendous facility. I’m tremendous excited for that,” he mentioned.
Along with his membership swimming, Sterlitz mentioned he’s wanting ahead to his last highschool season along with his Kiski Space teammates together with returning WPIAL contributors in senior Levi Hansen, junior Landon Seman and sophomores Justin Tucker and Riley Yute.
Sterlitz is coming off a 2022 WPIAL meet the place he picked up 4 medals. He scored a fourth within the 500 free and seventh within the 200 free whereas taking eighth as a part of the 200 free relay and 400 free relay.
He swam at states in all 4 occasions.
The Kiski Space boys moved all the way down to Class 2A beneath the present alignment format and can compete in Part 4-2A with Burrell, Derry, Greensburg Salem, Indiana, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Nice and Valley.
“I, together with the opposite guys, are tremendous pumped for this season,” Sterlitz mentioned. “Final 12 months didn’t go as properly for me personally as I’d’ve favored. However as a group, we had a very good 12 months.
“We’re actually assured that we’re going to win the part and counties after which see what we will do at WPIALs and the state meet. We don’t wish to get overconfident, however we’re motivated and able to go. We’re fairly positive we will do some huge issues this 12 months.”
Michael Love is a Tribune-Evaluation Workers Author. You’ll be able to contact Michael by e-mail at mlove@triblive.com or through Twitter .
Tags: Kiski Space