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LEXI SPACIANO
School: Dallas
Year: Senior
Sport, position: Diving
Family: Donna, mom; Victor, dad; Gianna, sister; Gabby, sister; Victoria, sister.
Last week: Nursing at 1.95-point lead over teammate Maddie Ross, Spaciano saved her best dive for last and held off Ross to win the District 2 Class 2A diving title on Saturday. The Mountaineers nabbed four of the top-five spots, with Spaciano, Ross and Gianna Leo advancing to states.
What she says: “I think I did pretty well. I’m excited because I knew the meet was going to come down to the last dive. I just tried to nail my last dive and not worry too much about how I’m compared to (my teammate) Maddie (Ross). … It’s pretty cool (winning a district title). I was working so hard this season and in the summer.”
Coach says: “Last year she came in third at districts and at the last minute, they pulled her up to go to states because our district got another spot. And she shined at states. I think the goals she set were pretty high, she wanted to win. She really, really wanted to win districts. They’re all friends and they’re all happy for each other, but they all wanted to win. … She was very focused (this year) on her diving and I think she also was very relaxed. She knew where she wanted to be and she knew what she had to do to get there and that’s what she did. She was very quiet throughout the year and she kept going up place by place and week by week and getting better and better.” — Paul Mierzwa, Dallas/Holy Redeemer diving coach
Cake or cookies: Cake
Krispy Kreme vs. Dunkin’ Donuts: Dunkin’ Donuts
Favorite song right now: “I don’t want to live forever” Zayn, Taylor Swift
Favorite sports team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Favorite/Go to move? Back one somersault, 1-1/2 twist
Favorite TV show: “Criminal Minds”
Is a hotdog a sandwich?: No
Favorite memory from the season: Having so much fun at districts
Favorite teacher: Mr. Scott Saba
Trapped on a deserted island one thing you would bring: My phone
Favorite subject in school: Math
Kanye West, yes or no: Yes
Favorite food: Chicken
Favorite ice cream: Mint Chocolate Chip
Favorite Athlete: Simone Biles
What do you put on your pizza: Plain
Favorite musician/musical act: Beyonce
Favorite book: “Thirteen Reasons Why”
A place you’d like to visit: Hawaii
What are you binge watching on Netflix: “Shameless”
If you could have one superpower, what would it be? To fly
Future goals: Get a pharmacy degree
Pirates or Ninjas: Pirates
***
JIMMY HOFFMAN
School: Hazleton Area
Year: Senior
Sport, position: Wrestling, 132-pound
Family: Jim, dad; Denise, mom; Angela, sister
Last week: It was the matchup wrestling fans were hoping for when the brackets were originally released, 35-1 Hoffman vs. 35-0 Tommy Traver of Tunkhannock. The two highly ranked wrestlers didn’t disappoint and put together a competitive match in which Hoffman escaped with a 2-0 win to grab his third District 2 Class 3A title at 132 pounds.
What he says: “It’s a stepping stone to what’s to come for when we go down to Hershey. (Winning a district title) was something I had set as a goal since I didn’t get it last year. … (Saturday) I was able to reverse him, which was key to getting off bottom and scoring points.”
Coach says: “He wrestles his heart out and competed and won the district title. … It was a great tournament. The final match was a very publicized match, everyone thought it was going to happen with (Tommy) Traver being 35-0. Winning that match was big for us. … He wrestled a great match and was able to pull that off.” — Keith Maurer, Hazleton Area wrestling coach
Cake or cookies: Cookies
Cake or pie: Pie
Favorite song right now: “The Weekend” Brantley Gilbert
Favorite/Go to move? My double leg, take down from my feet
Favorite TV show: “South Park”
Is a hotdog a sandwich?: No
Favorite memory from the season: Going to states as a team
Favorite teacher: Mrs. Eberts, Chemistry
Trapped on a desert island one thing you would bring: My dog
Kanye West, yes or no: No
Favorite ice cream: Chocolate
Favorite Athlete: Jordan Burroughs
What do you put on your pizza: Hot sauce
Favorite musician/musical act: Brantley Gilbert
Favorite book: “The Great Gatsby”
A place you’d like to visit: Montana
What are you binge watching on Netflix: “Shameless”
If you could have one superpower, what would it be? To fly
Future goals: Become a state champion