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By STEVE BRESNAHAN; Times Leader Sports Writer
Saturday, December 17, 1994 Page: 13C
HAZLETON — Through his office window at Hazleton Area High School, Pat
Garramone last week watched a dozen or so of his swimmers prepare for practice
with some easy laps in the pool.
“Look at ’em; there aren’t too many,” he said, running a hand through his
short, white hair. “The effort is there, there’s no question about that. We’ll
give a few teams some trouble, but bodies are what we lack.”
Garramone explained that the Cougars will most likely use only 15 swimmers
in their meets this season. Of that number, he said, only three or four have
any real experience.
“We have a few strong swimmers,” he said, “but the rest are really novices.
They have to get stronger. This sport, it takes so much out of you. A kid has
to discipline himself. It is a sport where you have to practice, practice,
practice.”
Now in his third year as coach of the Cougars, Garramone said he has found
that “this is not a swimming area yet; the sport is relatively new to this
school.” With time, Garramone said he hopes to change that, hopes to see more
fall athletes head indoors to the pool, not just to the basketball court or
the wrestling mat, when winter comes.
Going into yesterday’s meet at Stroudsburg, the Cougars had split their
first two meets. Tuesday they lost to Tamaqua 107-63; Thursday the beat Blue
Mountain 112-61. Two solid performers, juniors Chris Mears and Pascal
Brietenfeld, emerged from those contests, and between them four school records
fell.
On Tuesday Brietenfeld, an exchange student from Germany, established a new
school mark in the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 1:04.67. Two days later,
Mears set records in the 100-yard backstroke (1:06.91) and the 200-yard
individual medley (2:25.75). Then, along with Matt Davis and Jason Fisher,
Mears and Brietenfeld helped topple the 200-yard freestyle relay standard with
a time of 1:43.97.
“Those two kids,” Garramone said of Mears of Brietenfeld, “they’re the type
that if I have a practice at six in the morning, I know they’re going to be
there. They both work as hard as anyone I’ve ever coached.”
Mears, Brietenfeld and seniors Davis and Fisher form the Cougars’ nucleus.
Sophomore Jeremiah Quinn and senior Jared Mitchell have also performed
impressively in the early meets. Freshman Evan Ostroski may contribute as
well, according to Garramone, but, like many of the young Cougar swimmers, he
needs to gain strength.
Mears, however, said he think the team is in ways stronger than last year’s
edition, which finished 1-11.
“We lost three top scorers in Steve Ciarmboli and Jason and Todd Dietrich,”
he said. “And they be hard to make up for. Pascal’s being here has helped, but
as far as overall depth we’re not quite as deep as we can be. But top to
bottom, as far as talent, I think we’re stronger than we were last year.”
Garramone said he is pleased with the talent on his team has and is proud
of the fortitude shown by his swimmers.
If only there were more of them.
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