A Look at Valley View H.S. Swimming
Published: December 4, 2009
Font size: [A] [A] [A]
e-mail this
share thisValley View’s numbers in the pool are improving. The Cougars swimming team went from 11 members last season, to 18 this season.
With a great deal of newcomers, the talent and leadership of the veterans must mentor and inspire the newcomers for the Cougars to be effective as a swimming team.
Despite losing four starters to graduation, three who earned all-state honorable mentions, Valley View will rely on the talent and versatility of all-state honorable mention Erik Onukiavage, a junior, as well as the leadership of seniors Jerry Zorechak and Nick Lubniewski to guide the squad toward Lackawanna League and District 2 improvement.
For the past four seasons, the Cougars have been a .500 team or better, and they hope to continue to keep that streak alive and improve on last season’s 6-5 record. They’re hoping to improve their fifth-place Lackawanna League finish and sixth-place finish at the District 2 Class AA swimming championships.
“We’ve had talent but not numbers,” coach Rick Evans said “Now that we have the numbers, I think we’ll be more competitive.”
Onukiavage swims the breaststroke and is a member of the team’s school record-setting 200-yard medley relay team. Zorechak swims the breaststroke and freestyle events, while Lubniewski is a freestyle specialist.“Jerry and Nick came through the age group program, swimming eight or nine years a piece,” Evans said. “Just that experience, knowledge and leadership — it’s going to be a huge help for the team. With so many newer kids, they’ve actually been taking the kids on the side and showing them some basics.”
Other returners include Zack Arnberg (breaststroke, freestyle), Michael McCarthy (distance freestyle), Joey Zorechak (backstroke, freestyle) and P.J. Filipski (backstroke, diving).
In order to improve the team’s success, newcomers to the lineup must also make a splash. They include freestyle swimmers Mike Milesky, Andy Mattise, Sean Carey, and Luke Brady. Swimming the freestyle events and backstroke are Josh Conaboy and Eric Gowat. Paul Kraycer swims the butterfly and individual medley. Brothers John Joyce and Donnie are newcomers to the diving part of the squad.
Overall, it looks like the inexperienced swimmers must to adjust to the varsity level and become competitive in order to continue Valley View’s improvement.
“Newcomers have to continue to improve,” Evans said. “With so many newcomers, we must come together as a team.”
***
The Lady Cougars are a young team, but a smart team.
Valley View’s swimming program is a National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (NISCA) scholar team bronze award winner.
Last year’s team had a 3.39 grade point average, and was led in the classroom by now-graduated NISCA All-American Lauren Farrell. Coach Rick Evans hopes the young team will follow the example she set in the classroom, while improving in the pool.
With just three seniors lost to graduation, the Lady Cougars are coming off a record of 2-8-1 and focused on a .500 record that has eluded them the past several years. The want to improve on their sixth-place finish in the Lackawanna League.
“The No. 1 reason you’re going to school is to get an education,” Evans said. “I push the kids to work as hard in the classroom as they do in the pool. I think success goes across the board and the girls’ team rubs off on the guys’ team.”
Seven starters are back. In the freestyle events, Valley View has Jacqui Rossi and Alyssa Sklareski. Erin Travis swims the freestyle and butterfly events, Lindsay Burak competes in the breastroke and freestyle, while Sammi Bruno takes care of things in the individual medley and distance freestyle. Filling out the returners are Vicky Gillow in the breaststoke and individual medley, and diver Nicole Yencho.
New faces expected to be in the lineup include Krystal Szenzen, Toni Fuchylo, Larissa Patuk, Yachabel Antunes, Liz Whiteker and Breanne Pirino in the freestyle events.
Samantha Mulherin and Vanessa LaTorre swim the freestyle and backstroke, while Katie Mitchell specializes in the breaststroke and Courtney Sweeney in the butterfly.
In the pool, Evans is counting on Rossi, Bruno and Travis to set the tone toward improved times and results. Since the team is young, all the juniors with experience will be counted on to step up and lead both vocally and by example.
In the postseason, Valley View hopes to improve on last year’s District 2 finish – tied for 13th – which will take invites for more individuals.
“We want to qualify as many members as possible for districts and achieve our personal best times,” Evans said. “With a good mix of returning talent and newcomers, this team will continue to grow. We believe we can have a team record of above a .500 record for the first time in several seasons.”
