Seniors Kacie Fisk, Ella Hoban and Emily Dunn will serve as captains of the Pittston Area girls swimming team after making significant contributions to last season’s 5-5 finish in the Wyoming Valley Conference.
Fisk had the top individual district finish of the any of the returnees, taking seventh in Class 3A in the 100-yard backstroke. Hoban was eighth in the 200 freestyle. Dunn placed 10th in two events.
“Their records speak for themselves,” head coach Heather Clancy said. “They do a great job. Ella Hoban is a sprinter; Kacie does a multitude of strokes and they won a couple medals in relays.”
Senior Marissa Gubitoso also returns after missing part of last season.
Clancy said the team also features a strong junior class led by Cassie Hintze and Makenzie Kaminski.
Meghan McCawley and Cheyenne Slater are the top sophomores.
Kaitlyn Kozlowski is a promising freshman, whose older sister Lori is a returnee from last year’s team. Both have experience from age group swimming when they previously lived in the Valley View School District.
“The new girls in our freshmen class are showing a lot of potential,” Clancy said.
Both Pittston Area teams open the season Wednesday at home against Nanticoke.
Elana Clancy, Heather’s daughter and a former Scranton Prep swimmer, has joined the coaching staff, primarily as an assistant with the boys team. Sarah Robinson assists with the girls and Megan Moran coaches the divers.
BOYS
The seven-member team is made up entirely of newcomers – junior Ryan Hintze, sophomore Jeff Ross and freshmen Josiah Lyons, Tanner Osborn, Frank Garcia and Franklin Garcia.
Osborn is learning diving, but will also help in the relay events.
Hintze, a center on the football team, has taken on a leadership role.
“Ryan has taken the initiative to take them to the Cefalo Center to lift weights before they head to practice, so they are really shaping up to be a responsible team on their own,” Heather Clancy said.
