DOUG DIETRICH

SCHOOL: Central Catholic.

WHO IS HE? One of the top scholastic swimmers in Western Pennsylvania.

PAST WEEK: At the PIAA championships Friday at Bucknell University, Dietrich won the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 50.95 seconds.

He was the only WPIAL swimmer, boys or girls, to win a gold medal in Class AAA.

CAREER: A junior, Dietrich is a three-time PIAA qualifier. He finished second in the 100 butterfly last season. Three weeks ago, he won his first WPIAL titles, in the 100 butterfly and 500 freestyle.

FAMILIAR NAME: The term "gene pool" takes on a different meaning with the Dietrich family, who moved from Plum to Aspinwall last summer.

Older sisters Diana and Mallory were outstanding swimmers at Oakland Catholic and are now a junior and a freshman on the Naval Academy varsity.

Mallory captured 14 WPIAL and 12 PIAA championships.

COACHED THEM ALL: Mercedes McCarthy knows the Dietrich clan well. She has been the coach at Oakland Catholic and Central Catholic in recent years and has worked with all three siblings.

She said of Doug: "He's a very steadfast, dependable guy. He's a Dietrich. What else can I say?

"He could probably swim just about anything and be one of the best."

FUTURE: Dietrich has gotten recruiting letters from the swimming programs at Pitt, Navy, Arizona, Florida, Texas and Kentucky.

He has a 3.3 grade point average and is leaning toward majoring in architecture or engineering.

By Rick Shrum

LINDSAY VROOMAN

SCHOOL: Ambridge

WHO IS SHE? A 15-year-old freshman who already is one of the top swimmers in the state.

LAST WEEK: Vrooman won two PIAA Class AA championships at Bucknell University.

She won the 200-yard freestyle in 1 minute, 50.98 seconds and the 500 in 4:53.22.

A BRIDGER WITHOUT A TEAM: Ambridge does not have a swim team or a pool. The WPIAL, which is part of the PIAA, allows individuals to compete in their championships, provided they meet qualifying times.

Vrooman reached the qualifying times in the MAC championships a few weeks before the WPIAL meet.

Vrooman has been swimming competitively since she was 9 and trains at the Pine-Richland Aquatics Club.

NO REST: One day after the PIAA meet, Vrooman was swimming in a USA sectional meet in Maryland.

When asked if she has any hobbies outside of swimming, Vrooman said, "Not really. My life is basically homework and swimming."

She has a 4.0 grade point average.

NEXT YEAR: Vrooman will be the favorite to win more gold medals next season and eventually might challenge PIAA championship times. But she is not sure if she will compete at the WPIAL and PIAA meets next season.

"I might, but it depends on how much I improve," Vrooman said.

"I might not go and just go to Junior Nationals instead. I would do that just basically to face better competition."

By Mike White