It's not all that uncommon for athletes participating in the WPIAL swimming championships at Pitt's Trees Pool to dye their hair an unusual color in either a show of team unity or a way to make a figurative splash at one of the swimming calendar's bigger events.

Bethel Park's Becca Zimmer took part in that ritual this season as a senior.

"I wanted to go for something really crazy this year," said Zimmer, "so I just went for it and did it."

Funny, because the craziest thing Zimmer could have done differently at the WPIAL championships this time around would have been something as unconventional as, oh, actually failing to win a gold medal.

Zimmer joined an elite club in becoming a four-time WPIAL champion in a single event. Zimmer's time of 5:00.43 won the 500-yard freestyle Friday, meaning she won the event from her freshman through senior seasons.

"It's definitely something really, really special," Zimmer said. "I couldn't be more proud."

Black Hawks coach Bill Kennedy was most proud of one of his star pupils because she accomplished the feat wearing a more traditional swimsuit, not the Blue Seventy or Speedo LZR technologically advanced suits that have brought great attention around the world of swimming for lowering times.

"It was exciting -- especially because she didn't have the new suit," Kennedy said. "Without the suit, for her to come in and put up lifetime-best times is amazing."

Zimmer, a University of Akron recruit who will be seeded highly at the PIAA championship meet March 11-14 in the 500, also won the 200 freestyle for the second time in her career, swimming it in 1:52.02. She also helped Bethel Park's freestyle relay teams to medals.

One gold medal Zimmer couldn't help win, however, was the team title. For the first time since 2004, Bethel Park did not win the WPIAL girls' championship.

A younger team than in recent seasons, the Black Hawks finished second with 281 points to North Allegheny's 372.

"We're very, very pleased," Kennedy said. "NA swam outstanding, no doubt about that. So did Peters.

"We moved up from where we were seeded in the meet by 20 or 30 points, so we're happy."

Dudzinski 'back' on podium

Upper St. Clair sophomore Kyle Dudzinski won his third gold medal in his two trips to the WPIAL championships, establishing a WPIAL meet record in the process.

Dudzinski swam the 100-yard backstroke in 50.39 seconds, defending his title in the event, chopping 1.98 seconds off last year's winning time in the process. Dudzinski broke a record set by Bethel Park's Alan Carter that had stood since 2002.

"That was his goal," Panthers coach Richard Bradshaw said. "He's not rested yet, but we thought he probably could break that record, maybe even break 49 [seconds]. But 50.3 is not bad."

Bradshaw laughed, but was serious when he said that Dudzinski is out to break the PIAA record, too, at that meet next week at Bucknell University.

Dudzinski also finished third in the 200 freestyle and anchored the Panthers' 400 freestyle relay team that took sixth with one of the fastest split times of the day. He helped Upper St. Clair to a team seventh-place finish.

Splashes in the pool

• Mt. Lebanon junior Sho Sugimoto defended his title in the 100 freestyle with a time of 46.65 seconds that was almost a full second lower than last season's winning mark. He also placed second in the 50 freestyle and helped the Blue Devils' freestyle relay teams medal.

Teammate Sam Wilshire was third in the 100 backstroke.

• Also earning automatic qualifying berths for the PIAA championships from PG South area schools were the Peters Township Class AAA boys' and girls' 400 and 200 freestyle relay teams, Brentwood's Paul Roswick (Class AA 100 freestyle and 50 freestyle), South Allegheny's Brian Henze (Class AA 100 backstroke), South Park's Christian Achilies (Class AA 100 breaststroke), Belle Vernon's Zachary Wardle (Class AA 50 freestyle) and Brendan Lacey (200 freestyle) and South Fayette's Steven Torre (Class AA 200 individual medley).