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WILKES-BARRE — Even a pedestrian effort by Josh Zawatski’s standards was fast enough to beat many of the Wyoming Valley Conference’s top boys swimmers.
A matchup between long-standing swimming heavyweights ended in a pair of landslide victories at the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center natatorium.
Holy Redeemer and Wyoming Valley West swam to a split Tuesday in WVC swimming and diving action. The Royals girls cruised to a 114-48 win, while the Spartans’ boys squad registered a 107-63 victory.
The Spartans were led by Zawatski’s four victories. He won the 50 free in 22.71 seconds, and swam to a 53.14 finish in the 100 free. He was also a stalwart on the teams’ 200 and 400 free relay wins.
“Individually, it was not my best day,” Zawatski said. “I could have done better. It was a little rocky. We just got off of (Martin Luther King Day) break. It was not my best day; it was not my worst day.”
A tightly contested meet was soon turned into a blowout win, spearheaded by Wyoming Valley West’s sprints. Ivan Volynets outraced reigning state medalist Nick Dubinski for second place in the 50, and both David Sites and Dillon Wilbur trailed Zawatski as WVW swept the 100.
“Our team is a really sprint-based team,” Zawatski said. “Our distance guys are also very good. But, for those events, I think we could have actually done better. We really try to focus on things like this as our strengths.”
Wyoming Valley West’s top swimmers excelled in their specialties. Zac Rosencrans took first in the 200 IM in 2:13.31. Logan Fluegel clocked in at 58.09 seconds for a 100 back win. Maxim Kowalski had an exciting comeback win in the 500 free, surpassing the leader at the halfway point for a seven-second victory in 5:16.65.
On the girls side, Holy Redeemer won 11 events — all swimming — over the defending District 2-4 Class 3A champions.
“It was a strong performance,” Holy Redeemer coach Jack Port said. “They were pumped up for the meet. We can’t rest. We have a lot of big meets coming up. It’s a long season. We have a lot of work to do.”
Corinne Smith came away victorious in the most enthralling race of the evening. Trailed by more than a minute after two laps, Smith charged in the final 25 yards to speed past WVW’s Chelsea Mackiewicz. Her 1:04.86 finish won by 57-hundredths of a second.
“Corinne, she’s been working really hard,” Port said. “She’s been training a lot in the fly and doing really well with it. The back half has gotten incredibly a lot better over the past few weeks. It’s a credit to her hard work and training, and I’m proud of her.”
Freshman Margaret Walting led the Royals with season bests in the 50 and 100 free. Walting took first in the 50 in 55.94 seconds, and she finished ahead of teammate Emily Blaum in a 55.94-second performance in the 100.
Emily Easton (200 free, 500 free) and Kayla Kruk (100 back, 200 IM) won multiple individual events for the Royals.
Both the Holy Redeemer girls and Wyoming Valley West boys secured their place in the WVW standings to keep their undefeated records intact. The Royals are tied with Wyoming Seminary with unblemished records, and the Spartans remain even with Wyoming Seminary after giving the Royals their first loss of the year.
“Our chances are very good,” Zawatski said. “The only thing is that all of the teams really give it their best and so do we. I feel like that Spartan spirit that we have as a team – we’ve been together so long – that keeps us as a whole and pushing further and further. That’s what makes us better.”
Valley West’s Sophia Ginochetti tabbed a 220.55 to win girls diving. Adam Mahler won the 200 free and 100 fly for the Royals in the boys’ meet.
BOYS SWIMMING
Wyoming Seminary 56,
Tunkhannock 38
Seminary’s 400 free relay team of Marcos Rico, Matt Bean, Stan Zaneski and Yonah Wasik broke a school record with a time of 3:19.97.
The old mark was set by Mike Morgan, John Sembrat, Sean McCall and Tim Adams in 1986.
Rico, Bean, Zaneski and Garrett Pall won the 200 medley relay in 1:46.14. Teammate Rodriko Salas-Warner secured wins in the 200 freestyle (1:59.23) and 100 breaststroke (1:10.71).
Zaneski won the 50 free (21.72), Rico took the 100 butterfly (53.37) and Bean won the 100 free in 53.03.
Tunkhannock was paced by Ben Tidball in 500 free (5:44.67) and Davis Tidball in the 100 backstroke (1:02.87).
Lake-Lehman 56,
Meyers 49
Jake Selingo placed first in the 50 (25.28) and 100 free (55.73) to lead Lehman past Meyers.
Selingo was also part of the first-place 200 medley relay squad along with Andrew Herrick, Tyler Manzoni, Thomas Manzoni in 2:01.40. Thomas Manzoni was first in the 100 fly (1:04.76), while Tyler Manzoni was first in the 100 breast in 1:13.25.
Meyers’ James Langan was first in the 200 IM (2:22.87), Forest Nguyn won the 100 back in 1:08.74 and Jacob Schultz won the 200 freee in 2:15.76.
Dallas 115,
Berwick 55
Berwick swimmer Chris Michael broke a pair of school records as the Bulldogs came up short against Dallas.
Chris Michael broke the Berwick meter record in the 100 freestyle with a 0:55.80. The old record was held by Nick Rockey, with a 0:56.72. Michael also broke his own meter record in the 100 breaststoke, which he broke last home meet, finishing in 1:12.05. Two weeks ago he swam 1:12.58.
Dallas was paced by Tony Caravaggio and Troy Reinert. Caravaggio won both the 200 IM and the 100 butterfly, while Reinert finished first in the 100 backstroke and the 50 freestyle.
GIRLS SWIMMING
Wyoming Seminary 62,
Tunkhannock 32
It was a team effort for the Blue Knights as April Kupsky (200 IM), Ava Baur (50 freestyle), Madi Federici (100 butterfly), Nicole Rose Lukesh (100 backstroke) and Tara Kupsky (100 breaststroke) all took home individual wins. Baur and Tara Kupsky also won three relays together, while April Kupsky won two.
Sara Fetter (200 freestyle), Anna Moffitt (100 freestyle) and Megan Hayward (500 freestyle) all took home wins for Tunkhannock.
Lake-Lehman 113,
Meyers 56
Beth Bartuska finished first in the 200 and 500 free and was part of the first-place 200 medley and 400 free relays.
Teammate Grace Ciaccia placed first in the 50 and 100 free.
Meyers’ Victoria Collum won diving at 108.60.
Dallas 109,
Berwick 59
Abby Zolner and Annaliese Cheshire each secured two individual victories to lead Dallas to a 50-point win. Zolner won the 200 IM and 100 butterfly, and Cheshire finished first in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle.
Melissa Leonard (500 free) and Sydney Bittner (100 breaststroke) took home individual wins as well.
Berwick’s Becca Decker won the 200 freestyle.
WRESTLING
Lake-Lehman 57,
Wyoming Area 12
Matt Galasso, Garrett Kolb, R.J. Driscoll, Jarrett Cummings and T.J. Meehan each picked up wins by fall for the Black Knights. Kaleb Konigus outlasted Damon Barhight in overtime at 285 pounds.
Justin Joseph earned a pin for the Warriors.
Hanover Area 42,
Honesdale 39
Facing a 39-36 deficit heading into the final match on Monday — a 195-pound bout between Hanover Area’s JJ Hooper and Honesdale’s Beau Freiermuth — Hooper pinned his opponent in three minutes and nine seconds to give the Hawkeyes their final six points to seal the victory.
Like Hooper, Joe Rawley, Jeff Bennett, DJ Erickson, Zakee Nettles, Noah Rakowski and Nick Hannon all pinned their opponents to lead Hanover Area past Honesdale.
GIRLS SWIMMING
Holy Redeemer 114, Valley West 48
200 Medley Relay — 1. HR (Kayla Kruk, Emily Blaum, Corinne Smith, Emily Easton) 2:02.6; 200Free — 1. HR Easton 2:12.26, 2. WVW Paige Williams, 3. HR Smith; 200 IM — 1. HR Kruk 2:21.23; 50Free — 1. HR Margaret Walting 25.23, 2. WVW Chelsea Mackiewicz, 3. HR Mary Strunk; Diving — 1. WVW Sophia Ginochetti 220.55, 2. HR Haily Yakimowicz, 3. HR Bailey Flannery; 100 Fly — 1. HR Smith 1:04.86, 2. WVW Mackiewicz, 3. HR Abby Shorts; 100Free — 1. HR Walting 55.94, 2. HR Blaum, 3. WVW Elizabeth Cherinka; 500Free — 1. HR Easton 5:52.43, 2. WVW Williams, 3. WVW Stephanie Sepko; 200FreeRelay — 1. HR (Walting, Blaum, Emily Duris, Smith) 1:52.3, 2. WVW, 3. HR; 100 Back — 1. HR Kruk 1:05.27, 2. HR Duris, 3. WVW Cherinka; 100 Breast — 1. HR Blaum 1:16.66, 2. WVW Natalia Vivanco, 3. HR Shorts; 400FreeRelay 1. HR (Walting, Easton, Duris, Kruk) 4:08.57, 2. WVW, 3. HR
BOYS SWIMMING
Valley West 107, Holy Redeemer 63
200 Medley Relay — 1. WVW (Ivan Volynets, Zac Rosencrans, Logan Fluegel, Dillon Wilbur) 1:43.84; 2. HR, 3. HR; 200Free — 1. HR Adam Mahler 1:49.63, 2. WVW Maxim Kowalski, 3. WVW Zack Whibley; 200 IM — 1. WVW Rosencrans 2:13.31, 2. HR Colton Smith, 3. HR Matt Dinh; 50Free — 1. WVW Josh Zawatski 22.71, 2. WVW Volynets, 3. HR Nick Dubinski; 100 Fly — 1. HR Mahler 52.46, 2. WVW Fluegel, 3. HR Mike Williams; 100Free — 1. WVW Zawatski 53.14, 2. WVW David Sites, 3. WVW Wilbur; 500Free — 1. WVW Kowalski 5:16.65, 2. HR Smith, 3. WVW Whibley; 200FreeRelay — 1. WVW (Zawatski, Wilbur, Kowalski, Rosencrans) 1:35.46, 2. HR, 3. WVW; 100 Back — 1. WVW Fluegel 58.09, 2. WVW Volynets, 3. HR Jared Barnak; 100 Breast — 1. HR Dubinski 1:01.93, 2. WVW Rosencrans, 3. HR Alex Larralde; 400FreeRelay 1. WVW (Fluegel, Kowalski, Volynets, Zawatski) 3:34.47
WRESTLING
Lake-Lehman 57, Wyoming Area 12
106 — Brenden Boston (LL) won by forfeit; 113 — Double forfeit; 120 — Austin Schuler (LL) won by forfeit; 126 — Matt Galasso (LL) pinned Robin Wrobleski; 132 — Garrett Kolb (LL) pinned Tyler Martin, 2:44; 138 — Antonio Franzone (LL) won by forfeit; 145 — R.J. Driscoll (LL) pinned Charlie Banashefski, 4:46; 152 — Jarrett Cummings (LL) pinned Nick Semanek, 5:53 ; 160 — Corey Mruk (WA) dec. Jake Tomolonis, 8-4; 170 — Justin Joseph (WA) pinned Thomas Nalbone, 3:40; 182 — Jaryn Polit-Moran (WA) dec. Elmer Souder, 6-3; 195 — T.J. Meehan (LL) pinned Adam Buczynski, 4:35; 220 — Jerimya Stonier (LL) won by forfeit; 285 — Kaleb Konigus (LL) dec. Damon Barhight, 4-3 OT.
Note: Match started at 170 pounds
MONDAY
Hanover Area 42, Honesdale 39
106 — Joe Rawley (HAN) pinned John Ingenito 0:47; 113 — Dennis Putzi (HON) pinned Josselin Meyer 5:00; 120 — Nick Lizza (HON) pinned E.J Murphy 1:40; 126 — Troy Russell (HON) dec. Jared Banesh 10-7; 132 — Jeff Bennett (HAN) pinned Matthew Davis 1:11; 138 — DJ Erickson (HAN) pinned Joe Rutledge 1:45; 145 — Brandon Lawson (HON) pinned Stephen Dule 1:23; 152 — Zakee Nettles (HAN) pinned Gerald Pepper 5:17; 160 — Noah Rakowski (HAN) pinned Michael O’Day 3:17; 170 — Jake Kabonick (HON) won by forfeit; 182 — Alec Dragos (HON) won by forfeit; 195 — JJ Hooper (HAN) pinned Beau Freiermuth 3:09; 220 — John Kuhns-Miller (HON) pinned Tom Mercadante 4:35; 285 — Nick Hannon (HAN) pinned Matt Blaine 0:22.
Note: Match started at 220 pounds
