H-S Athlete of the Week: Kasey Mahoney, Laurel Highlands
Name: Kasey Mahoney
School: Laurel Highlands
Class: Junior
Sport: Swimming
Mahoney无毛视频檚 week: Mahoney swam to a fourth-place medal in the 100 breaststroke at last week无毛视频檚 PIAA Class 2A Swimming and Diving Championships at Bucknell University无毛视频檚 Kinney Natatorium with a time of 56.86. It was the second year in a row Mahoney earned a state medal as he placed fifth in 2024. The 6-foot junior son of Daniel and Teresa Mahoney was coming off a third-place medal at the WPIAL championships held at the University of Pittsburgh无毛视频檚 Trees Pool, following a fifth-place district medal a year ago. Although his time was a P.R. 无毛视频� Mahoney broke the Laurel Highlands record last year and bested that mark again this year 无毛视频� he has another goal in mind. 无毛视频淚 was trying to go anywhere into :55,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淗opefully I can do that this weekend at YMCA states.无毛视频� Mahoney无毛视频檚 season still won无毛视频檛 be over after that as he has already qualified for the YMCA nationals in Greensboro. N.C.
Mahoney无毛视频檚 LH record and PIAA medal last year were encouraging. 无毛视频淲hen I broke the school record as a sophomore last year it was a big confidence boost,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚t made me feel like I was on the right track of reaching my goals. Getting that first state medal gave me even more confidence. But I still needed to earn it again this year.无毛视频� Mahoney also was part of the Mustangs无毛视频� 200 medley relay team which qualified for the WPIAL championships.
Starting out: The 17-year-old Mahoney began swimming when he was 10 at the YMCA. 无毛视频淲hen I was younger I mostly did free and breaststroke and then I kind of moved to IM (individual medley) as well,无毛视频� Mahoney said. 无毛视频淏ut breaststroke has always been my main event, it separated itself from the rest for me. The transition from eighth grade to my freshman year is where my time started dropping a lot. I started thinking well maybe I can make a career out of this at the college level. So I really dedicated my life to it.
无毛视频淩ight now out of the whole year I take about three and a half to four months off but that无毛视频檚 in between seasons. I无毛视频檒l swim over the summer, over the winter, spring, fall. I play soccer in the fall so I have to double up on certain days of the week to stay in shape in the pool but also stay in shape on the field.无毛视频� Mahoney is a starter for the Mustangs无毛视频� soccer team.
Watch and learn: Mahoney is a fan of Great Britain Olympic gold-medalist Adam Peaty who holds the world record in the 50 and 100 breaststroke. 无毛视频淚 like to watch his videos and watch his technique, his stroke,无毛视频� Mahoney said. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 always been a person I try to mimic because I think he无毛视频檚 very good. I watch the technique and the underwater timing of his kick and the pull. With breaststroke you have to really focus on and master the kick and the pull and the timing of it all.
Coaching help: Bob McCombie is in his first year as Laurel Highlands无毛视频� swimming coach but has been guiding Mahoney for a long time. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e coached for Kasey for the last eight years at the Uniontown YMCA and then also this year at Laurel Highlands,无毛视频� McCombie said. 无毛视频淚n that time I无毛视频檝e not only watched him grow into a gifted swimmer but also a really good person. He无毛视频檇 do anything for anybody and is just an all-around good guy.无毛视频� Mahoney credits McCombie for much of his success. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 been there for me since the beginning, in the water and out of the water,无毛视频� Mahoney said. 无毛视频淚 have a lot of trust in him and I believe he can get me to where I want to go.无毛视频�
Odds and ends: Mahoney has his sights set on the next level. 无毛视频淚 really want to swim at the college level,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e talked to a few schools but I无毛视频檓 still undecided.无毛视频� 无毛视频� Mahoney does partake in a few other hobbies. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 a biker, I like to mountain bike,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 going to start training for the triathlon and hopefully get to that this summer.无毛视频�
无毛视频� Compiled by Rob Burchianti