Scranton Prep ladies, Abington Heights boys search league titles – Scranton Times-Tribune

There is an abundance of expertise able to dive into the pool for the Lackawanna League season.

Elk Lake ladies are the defending champions after breaking Scranton Prep’s 73-meet league profitable streak. Scranton Prep, nonetheless, is the favourite to reclaim the ladies’ title. Abington Heights, final season’s District 2 Class 3A staff champion, is predicted to problem the Classics.

Abington Heights is the slight favourite to dethrone Delaware Valley within the Lackawanna League race.

Both Times-Tribune Swimmers of the Year headline a gaggle of returning All-Region athletes who ought to make for an intense winter competitors.

Scranton Prep’s Rebecca Oakles was the ladies’ high swimmer, and Abington Heights’ Jason Casper earned the boys’ award.

Oakes, a junior, received a seventh-place medal within the 100-yard butterfly and completed tenth within the 100 freestyle on the PIAA Class 2A Championships. She captured gold medals within the 100 butterfly and the 100 freestyle (53.93) on the District 2 Class 2A Championships.

Casper, a senior, received a gold medal within the 200 freestyle and a silver within the 100 fly on the District 2-4 Class 3A Subregional Championships.

He is just not the one former Swimmer of the Year within the Lackawanna League. Scranton Prep’s Lukas Iannone received that title in 2024, and he signed a National Letter of Intent to proceed his profession at The College of the Holy Cross.

Girls

Scranton Prep and Abington Heights have excellent swimmers returning this season that can undoubtedly stoke the depth of this rivalry.

In addition to Oakes, Scranton Prep will probably be led by senior Sophia Galko and juniors Eva Kaszuba and Ella Schofield, who had been All-Region alternatives final season.

Galko received silver medals within the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke on the District 2 Class 2A Championships.

Kaszuba received an eighth-place medal within the 100 breaststroke on the PIAA Class 2A Championships. She earned a gold medal within the 100 breaststroke and a bronze medal within the 50 free on the District 2 Class 2A Championships and has an NCAA Division I scholarship supply to St. Bonaventure.

Schofield received a silver medal within the 100 breaststroke on the District 2 Class 2A championships.

Abington Heights has three All-Region athletes returning to the lineup.

Hadley Pallman had a robust debut season in 2024-25. She returns after profitable a gold medal within the 200 freestyle and a silver within the 500 freestyle on the District 2-4 Class 3A Subregional Championships.

Three-time All-Region choice Gianna Vachino received a gold medal within the 100 freestyle and a silver within the 100 butterfly on the District 2-4 Class 3A Championships.

Katie Giermanski additionally had a stellar freshman season. She received a gold medal within the 50 freestyle and a silver within the 100 freestyle for the Lady Comets.

Brynn Warriner led Elk Lake to final season’s league title and an undefeated season. She received a gold medal within the 50 free and a silver within the 100 free on the District 2 Class 2A Championships.

Boys

Abington Heights will attempt to counter Delaware Valley’s traditional depth of expertise with medal-winning people.

In addition to Casper, Derek Williams and diver Micah White are returning All-Region alternatives. Geoff Stanton, a former All-Region choice, returns to competitors, and Ryan Horutz is without doubt one of the high divers within the Lackawanna League.

Williams, a three-time All-Region choice, received a gold medal within the 50 freestyle and a silver within the 100 free on the District 2-4 Class 3A Subregional Championships.

White was a part of a dominant group of divers for Abington Heights. He completed twentieth on the PIAA Class 3A Championships and received the gold medal on the District 2-4 Class 3A Subregional Championships.

Horutz completed second on the Les Richards Championships and sixteenth on the PIAA Class 3A Championships after qualifying because the District 2-4 runner-up to White.

Stanton was an All-Region swimmer as a freshman in 2023 when he received a silver medal within the 100 backstroke and a bronze within the 200 IM on the District 2-4 Championships.

Delaware Valley received the District 2 Class 3A championship.

Ryan O’Connell earned All-Region honors and received a bronze medal within the 100 free and a fourth-place medal within the 200 IM on the District 2-4 Class 3A Championships.

Scranton Prep returns Iannone and Ben Kessler.

Last season, Iannone reached the medal stand and received a bronze within the 200 IM on the PIAA Class 2A Championships. He additionally received gold within the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke on the District 2 Class 2A championships.

Kessler completed ninth within the 200 free and thirteenth within the 100 again on the PIAA Class 2A Championships. He received gold in each occasions on the District 2 meet.

West Scranton’s Roy Ayala, a silver-medal winner within the 200 IM and the 100 breast on the District 2-4 Class 3A Subregional Championships, and Holy Cross’ Leo Cholish and Simon Madore are returning All-Region alternatives.

Meets to observe

• Dec. 9, defending ladies champ Elk Lake at Delaware Valley in a key early season meet.

• Dec. 16, annual metropolis rivalry when Scranton is at West Scranton.

• Jan. 7, Scranton Prep will host Elk Lake on the University of Scranton. Last season, Elk Lake snapped the Classics’ 73-meet win streak.

• Jan. 29, rivals Abington Heights and Scranton Prep meet on the University of Scranton.

• Feb. 12, league season concludes when Scranton Prep swims in opposition to Delaware Valley.

• There are two invitational meets in January. The Elk Lake Invitational is Jan. 2. The Ernie Shartle invitational at Tunkhannock is Jan. 17.

• The Les Richards Championships will probably be cut up over two weekends. The diving competitors is about for Feb. 7 whereas swimming races are Feb. 14. Both occasions are at Scranton High School.