Pittston Area’s Molly Fetchko, left, congratulates the winner of the 50 Free, Wyoming Area’s Macy Waters.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
At the start of the 200 I.M. are, left to right, Ava Menditto (WA), Maddie George (PA), Sofia Menta (WA).
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston Area’s Dani Bermudez pulls away from Wyoming Area’s Lucia Campenni in the 200 Freestyle on Thursday.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Ashley Walker tags the wall during the first leg of the 200 medley for Wyoming Area at Pittston Area in the cross-town rivalry meet.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
YATESVILLE – Four wins once represented major progress for the Wyoming Area girls swimming team.
The Lady Warriors had won just twice in the previous five years when they progressed to 4-7 in the 2021-22 season, then matched that record a year ago.
When Wyoming Area defeated host Pittston Area 109-74 in Thursday’s meeting of Wyoming Valley Conference rivals, the Lady Warriors got to four wins for the third straight season.
This time, however, they appear to just be getting started.
Wyoming Area is 4-1 and in a three-way tie for second place with Lake-Lehman and Wyoming Seminary, trailing only unbeaten Dallas in the WVC standings.
“It’s very exciting,” said Ameriana Walker, who joined Ava Menditto in supplying two individual and one relay win for the Lady Warriors.
Wyoming Area has combined a much larger roster, picking up points in the lower places, with some more accomplished swimmers like Walker and Menditto.
“I definitely didn’t expect all of our swimmers, all of the girls especially,” Menditto said of a roster that has more than doubled in numbers in the first year of Maureen Pikas’ second stint as head coach. “Last year, we had about 13 girls. The turnout was amazing this year. I’ve never seen that many people on our swim team.
“We need everybody. It doesn’t matter what place you get. Yeah, we have some first-place swimmers, but the people who are in Lanes 1 and 5, they’re important, too. All the points keep adding up and they help us win. It’s definitely good to have a big team.”
Menditto won the 200-yard individual medley and 100 butterfly. Walker sprinted to wins in the 50 and 100 freestyle. Both were on the 200 medley relay team that opened the meet with a win.
Pittston Area, led by first-year coach Lauren Shovlin, Pikas’ sister, also has a full roster so it was able to come closer than most to matching Wyoming Area in points earned from second- through fifth-place finishes.
Wyoming Area came out on top by winning seven of the eight individual swimming events.
“We were really surprised this year by how many people came out,” Walker said. “We’re better than ever.”
And with so many swimmers to choose from, Pikas has flexibility in the lineup.
“I’ve been mixing things up,” Walker said. “I usually swim the IM and the back.
“It was just to push myself and drop my times.”
Walker won the 50 in 28.01 and the 100 in 1:02.40.
Menditto won the IM in 2:52.59 and the butterfly in 1:18.39.
“I’ve been working more on my strokes,” Menditto said. “I definitely shine with strokes instead of freestyle. For a little bit, I was working on freestyle, but I realized that I’m definitely a stroke swimmer.”
Ella McKernan won the 100 breaststroke and was credited with the win in diving when Wyoming Area was awarded first, second and third place when officials determined the diving board was not safe for competition.
Bri Harry added a win in the 100 backstroke and Lucia Campenni won the 500 freestyle.
Karamia Marranca and Macy Waters joined Walker and Menditto for the relay win.
Pittston Area (3-3) got wins from Dani Bermudez in the 200 freestyle and as the anchor of two winning freestyle relay teams.
Molly Fetchko, Kate O’Hearn and Kate Kozlowski were also part of both relay wins.
