Cranberry High School students Morgan Stover and Nick Richar, with a cameo appearance of “Sharkie” from Assistant Principal Shawn Deemer’s office, stand with their “Athlete of the Week” T-shirts. (By Logan Johnson/Student contributor)
By ANNA MOORE
Student contributor
Cranberry High School students Nick Richar and Morgan Stover, who both qualified for the PIAA State Championship AA swim meet, have been named the school’s Athletes of the Week.
Both students swim for the Co-Op Oil City/Cranberry swim team.
The Oil City swim coaches, Eric Smith and Charlie Smith, nominated Richar, a junior, for being a great leader and encouraging his teammates, as well as working hard and making it to states.
When asked how it felt to be “Athlete of the Week,” Richar replied, “Humbling, it is a good feeling representing a not very popular sport.”
Richar is a two time PIAA State qualifier. Some of his accomplishments this season include dropping over six seconds from his seasonal best in the 200 freestyle, over three seconds in his 100 backstroke, and finishing 5th in the 100 backstroke at the district meet.
“Last year, we qualified for states, so this year was to prove we belonged there,” said Richar.
Stover was nominated by her coaches for a successful swim season. One of her accomplishments this season was qualifying for districts in every event except for one. Stover made the podium in three of those events, medaling in the 100 yard breaststroke, and making it to states in two. She is competing at the state level in the 200 freestyle relay and the 400 freestyle relay.
Stover’s goals for next year are to “make a national time, go to states individually, and break the 100 breaststroke time.”
Richar and Stover will travel to Bucknell University to compete at the PIAA State Championship AA swim meet on March 13 and 14.
Anna Moore and Logan Johnson are students at Cranberry High School and members of Cranberry Chronicles, the school’s journalism/publications class.
