Thanks to our continued partnership with Univest Financial, SuburbanOneSports.com is once again recognizing a male and female featured athlete each week. The recognition is given to seniors of high character who are students in good standing that have made significant contributions to their teams or who have overcome adversity. Selections are based on nominations received from coaches, athletic directors and administrators.
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Female Athlete (Week of Jan. 13, 2026)
It feels surreal for Olivia Auwarter to think about the fact that in less than two months, her senior swim season will be over. Because for the Upper Dublin senior captain, it won’t simply close the book on her high school athletic career. As part of a 17-member senior class on the Flying Cardinals’ girls’ swimming team, it will mark the last time this group will compete together. “I’ve been swimming with the same people since I was 8 years old,” Auwarter said. “We’re all best friends – we’re basically sisters. We spend 12 hours a day together. We’re there for each other, we push each other. It’s so strange to think that we’re coming to the end of that.”
Of course, Auwarter and her classmates and teammates have plenty to accomplish before hanging up their swim caps and goggles at UD. The senior class is on the verge of completing a remarkable feat of having
never lost a dual meet in their four years at Upper Dublin. Then there are leagues and districts before the defending Class 3A State Champions look to defend their title and make it two in a row. Such lofty goals are standard for Upper Dublin girls’ swimming, which is among the most successful area high school programs in any sport. And the chance to add to the legacy is something that inspires the athletes. “We can look across all the banners that surround our pool, there’s so much history and it’s so cool to be a part of it and to create new history for the team,” Auwarter said. “We use it as motivation to do our best, to uphold the legacy of what Upper Dublin has done over the years.”
And while all of that success has been the result of so many athletes making so many contributions, Auwarter has found a way to stand out with her dedication and abilities in the water as well as her leadership and demeanor out of the pool.“Everyone realizes what she means to the team, the experience that she has, the calm that she brings to the team – that’s why she was voted a captain,” said UD girls’ swimming coach Brandon Pierce. “She is someone with so much experience, the younger kids see it and see how she handles herself in those big moments. She brings confidence to our team. We have 17 seniors on this team. There are a lot of people in a leadership role, but you can definitely see that she has that leadership role of the leadership roles. She sets the tone for the team. She’s also a very vocal person. She’s always cheering on her teammates on the deck. And people can see how much she supports her teammates and then goes out and handles her business.”
And when she’s in the pool, Auwarter is all business. A four-year varsity swimmer, the senior captain has earned First Team All Liberty Division honors in each of her first three years and All District One honors as a sophomore and junior. At the State level, Auwarter finished 13th in the B Final in the 200 IM as a freshman and earned Honorable Mention All State distinction. As a sophomore, she finished fifth in the A Final in the 200 IM, eighth in the 100 fly, second in the 400 free relay and was part of the gold medal-winning 200 medley relay team. Last season, Auwarter continued racking up All State honors with a second-place finish as part of both the 200 medley relay and 400 free relay, third place in the 200 IM and seventh place in the 100 back. Having tasted gold both as part of a relay and as a team, Auwarter admits she’s got her eye on the State Title in the 200 IM this year, though when discussing her hopes for States, her primary focus is on the team title and the relays.
Auwarter is also quite adept at balancing athletics and academics. She’s taking AP Biology and AP Statistics as well as Honors classes in English, Marketing, and History. Next year, Auwarter will take her talents to the University of Delaware, which was among the nearly two dozen schools involved in her recruiting process She’s considering a major in finance, though that’s not set in stone. “Delaware is getting someone that is going to be a continuation of what she is here right now,” Pierce said. “She’s someone who’s going to walk in with confidence, put in the effort, and do everything she can to contribute to the team. I still think one thing that impresses me the most about Olivia is how happy she gets about others’ success. She’s cheering the loudest when someone else gets their best swim. She’s so happy for them. That’s what a leader does – she builds up and motivates others to be their best while she’s also doing her best.”
To read Auwarter’s complete story, please click on the following link: https://suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/olivia-auwarter-00122591
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of Jan. 13, 2026)
Nolan Shingle prefers to blast the music of Drake, Bossman D Low and Future through the locker room speaker to get his teammates fired up. That means the North Penn senior knows not much of the music of the legendary Joni Mitchell. However, he could likely relate well to the Canadian folk singer-songwriter’s “Both Sides Now,” released all the way back in 1966 and again in 1969 after Judy Collins had a hit with it.
No need for him to dial up the song on Spotify. He has lived it.
Playing on the ice hockey team for Kevin Vaitis, Shingle has gone from the depths of despair on a squad that could barely muster a win his freshman year to experiencing the ultimate euphoria of winning the Flyers
Cup and the state championship last year as a junior. “Freshman year, we were last in the league,” reflected Shingle. “It’s not fun to lose every game. I got to see what it’s like to be on a team that loses every game.” As much as that experience had an impact, Shingle also pointed to his sophomore season as a vital learning experience.
The Knights were involved a brawl with Central Bucks East in the SHSHL playoffs that led to multiple suspensions and an abrupt exit from the Flyers Cup tournament. “My sophomore year, we had the tools to make a deep run,” said Shingle. “I got to see a team that had talent and the ability to win but just couldn’t.”
Last year, all the pieces just fell perfectly into place for the Knights at the right time. All the lessons learned from being at the bottom of the league and then the frustrating exit from the Flyers Cup the next year came to fruition. “I feel like most of that just transferred over to last year,” said Shingle. “That’s when it just all kind of clicked. We had games that we maybe had no right winning, but we did. That was kind of the key to our success. We definitely felt like we were a good team. Once we won the Flyers Cup, it never really got real until that third period against Council Rock South. That’s when it was, like, ‘Wow, we can win both the Flyers Cup and win states.’”
Shingle – a two-year captain - sits near the top of the overall stat sheet for the Knights, who feature a deep and balanced attack and were undefeated through their first nine SHSHL games. Additionally, he brings a vital style of firebrand leadership to the team that is appreciated by the coaching staff. “Nolan is probably the most vocal of the four captains that we have,” Vaitis said. “There are times during games where we let our foot off the gas a little bit, and he is there screaming at everybody, ‘We’ve got to pick it up. Let’s go. Let’s get back to playing our game.’ It’s great to see that leadership.”
As the Knights ease through the schedule, Shingle added that it is important for the Knights to challenge themselves each game and not look too far into the crystal ball. “My mind isn’t on the end of March and playing for a state championship,” he said. “I try to take it one game at a time. That can be hard, especially against the teams that you know you are a better team than. While they aren’t teams you are going to be playing in the playoffs, it’s still a statement to blow teams out. It still matters. You can’t slip up. That lack of effort level can carry over into other games and hurt the team.”
Shingle, a member of North Penn’s golf team in the fall, maintains his level of maturity off the ice, where he excels in the classroom and is active in the community. This impresses Vaitis as much as anything. “He’s a good student and does a lot of volunteer work as well,” said the coach. “We’re doing a toy drive with the North Penn Valley Boys and Girls Club, and he will be one of the players there. He has helped in the past with raking leaves for the elderly and stuff like that.” For all that has been given to him by others, Shingle willingly gives back to the community in the spirit of volunteerism with the school’s National Honor Society and Special Olympics program.
Shingle takes AP biology and plans to major in it next year. His college experience may or may not include playing club hockey, and he is at peace with the idea of possibly packing away the gear. “If there is a club hockey team, I would think about trying out for it,” said Shingle. “But I’d rather choose to go to a school that I really like, as opposed to whether or not they have a club hockey program that I can play on.”
To read Shingle’s complete story, please click on the following link: https://suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/nolan-shingle-00122592
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