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Paul Mierzwa was supposed to dial down his coaching role after his daughter graduated two years ago. Instead, he finds himself coaching two teams with a chance to sweep the podium stage in District 2 Class 2A girls diving.
His seven divers from Dallas and Holy Redeemer will be the hands-on favorites in the district championships Saturday at the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center in Wilkes-Barre. The Class 2A competition begins at 10 a.m., followed by the Class 3A divers at 3 p.m.
For the group of girls that practice and hang out together, the sport’s individual nature will take shape on the springboard.
Holy Redeemer is represented by Haily Yakimowicz, Mary Strunk and Bailey Flannery. The Mountaineers aim to replicate last year’s success with the foursome of Lexi Spaciano, Maddie Ross, Carley Perloff, and Gianna Leo.
“I think their biggest competition is themselves,” Mierzwa said. “There are six places on the podium, and I expect them to be on all of them.”
Then the diving coach for the Royals, Mierzwa took the Dallas team under his wing midway through last year after the Mountaineers were left without a coach. The friendship between Dallas coach Romayne Mosier and former Holy Redeemer coach Mara Pawlenok ushered him into overseeing both teams with the approval of the athletic directors.
Dallas’ Maddie Ross will have a target on her back after winning last year’s meet by less than eight points. Fellow Mountaineer Lexi Spaciano had the district’s best finish at the PIAA championships in 10th place.
When all seven compete against each other the point spread from first to seventh is only 30 points. Mierzwa said any of the seven could end up with a gold medal around her neck.
“They’re your competition, and they’re your friends,” he added. “But, deep down, they all want to win. It’ll be a fierce battle.”
With her patented twists, Spaciano had a season-best 236.5. Ross has the highest degree of difficulty of 22.1, thanks in part to her Front 1 ½ 2 Twist and 2 ½ somersaults dives.
Tunkhannock’s Sawyer Aitken has the best tools to repeat as the District 2 Class 2A boys winner.
Like father, like daughter
Sophia Ginocchetti has heard all about the stories of her father’s glory days as a state champion on the diving board.
The Wyoming Valley West diver will take her first try at emulating his success – as a freshman – as one of the favorites for the District 2 Class 3A crown.
Her father, Brian, will be just one of many nervous parents in the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center grandstands Saturday for the District 2 diving championships.
Brian won a state diving title with Bishop Hoban in 1995, setting a PIAA record of 410 points on the springboard. Her mother, Liz (Daniels), was a standout swimmer for Meyers in 1997.
“I didn’t know how hard it is watching it from the grandstands,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun, a lot of nerves.”
With chlorine in her blood stream, Sophia defied expectations in just her first season diving competitively. She failed to finish first in just one dual meet – a third-place finish against Dallas. She posted a season-best of 223 in six dives.
“I think I have had a pretty good season so far,” Sophia said. “I’m getting better at some of the higher-difficulty dives already. I’m really excited to compete against new people.”
Pittston Area’s Madi Osticco will be in her tracks as the reigning district Class 3A champion. Ginocchetti edged Osticco by only one points (207-206) on Jan. 25.
Wyoming Valley West swim coach Frank Tribendis recruited Brian’s former high school coach, Bishop Hoban great Mike McGinley, out of retirement to provide tutelage for the young Spartans swimmer that has already mastered 1 ½ somersaults in each direction. McGinley will be pushing Sophia to one-up her father’s freshman campaign that finished with a seventh place district finish.
“She’s way better at this point than I was then,” Brian said. “To score high (in all five categories) is very difficult. It’s a lot of fun watching her progress.”
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