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COGLEY
3
Friday • March 6. 2015
YMCA Stingrays Qualify for Districts
Offe rGood
a t th e
previously
coached
high school
18 1 North
Kitta n n in g
M cKe a n St. and the Armstrong
athletes
Loca tion
Kitta n n inatg the former
Otters
YMCA.
On ly
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Swimmers,
aged
8-13,
qualified for this weekend’s
competition based on times
at any of the meets earlier
this season, Coach Lundgren
said. There are swimmers that
qualified in nearly all of the
district events
“We had a couple qualify
at the beginning of our swim
season in December and they
just kept qualifying, working
harder. Once one qualifies,
everyone else wants to fall in
line,” Coach Lundgren said.
And even after swimmers
already qualified, they kept
working to achieve better seed
by Jonathan Weaver
As the Richard G. Snyder
YMCA Stingrays swimming team
has become more popular, young
swimmers have also become
more successful.
After two of the team’s 37
Stingrays qualified for district
competition last year, 10 of 41
Stingrays have qualified for this
weekend’s events at Penn State
University’s McCoy Natatorium
in State College.
About 30 Stingrays returned
from last season, while 11 new
swimmers – of which include one
of the district qualifiers - joined
the team in September.
Coach Mary Ann Lundgren
of Rural Valley is in her second
year coaching the Stingrays, but
times.
“They’re constantly pushing
themselves to do better,” Coach
Lundgren said. “They’re real
competitive.”
As well as individual races,
swimmers will also compete
in two relay events Sunday – a
boys’ team and a girls’ team.
Attie Abranovic of Kittanning
started coaching this season. A
former University of Maryland
competitive swimmer as well as
at the former North Water Street
YMCA, Abranovic also coached
some of the current Stingrays
who were part of the Belmont
Complex summer team in East
Franklin Township.
“Everyday we’re really
working toward a goal –
ultimately to compete at
Districts and hopefully States,”
Abronovic said. “I think the
kids learning what they want
as a goal and working hard
towards that goal, that’s the
difference this season. The
kids have wanted to push
themselves.”
Aquatics Director Ryan
Good estimated there are about
30 teams the Stingrays will
compete against this weekend.
He praised all members of this
year’s team for their ambition.
“We all work really great
together and we know that
each and every one of them
are amazing athletes. They all
have the drive and the will to
get there – every single one of
these swimmers wants to be at
Penn State,” Good said. “We
even had kids that were off by
.01 seconds.”
The top six swimmers in each
event, as well as the six fastest
in some events, will advance on
to the state tournament – also in
State College – Sunday, March
22.
10 Stingrays qualified for this weekend’s district competition, including: (front,
left to right) Lauren Bowser, Emma Kolesar, Sofya Recupero and Evie Bliss, and
(back, left to right) Ethan Weigel, Cole DiNunzio, Malachi Burtt, Mattithia Burtt,
Parker Weigel and Caleb Matus.
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