Sunday, December 23, 2012 Tue DALLAS POST PAGE 9 Sports Julia Baur wins her heat in the girls 14 and under 50-yard frees- tyle during a Dallas Mountaineer Aquatics Club meet. Swim club sees steady growth Dallas Mountaineer Aquatic Club is celebrating its 10th year. ) & By TOM ROBINSON For the Dallas Post The Dallas Mountaineer Ag- uatic Club continues to grow and is celebrating its 10th year ‘with its largest group of swim- mers ever. “We've grown from a last | place team to one of the stron- 1gest in our league,” said club rvice president Kathy Berger. The club, which competes in the Northeastern Pennsylvania Age Group Swim League, reac- a high of 142 competitors 6-14 early this season be- re some dropouts lowered the number to about 135. Berger said the program had been averaging around 100 swimmers in recent years. “We've grown significantly this year,” she said. “We've im- proved every year, but it’s pretty much been the same structure. I think the Olympics this year helped spark an interest in swimming.” “We've grown from a last-place team to one of the strongest in our league.” Kathy Berger Vice president, DMAC The program is run at the Dal- las Middle School where practic- es are held five evenings a week, beginning in October. Meets are held from December through the NEPAGSL championship in late February. When the team is at home, meets are also held at the Dallas Middle School pool. “We are there five nights per week,” Berger said. “We encour- age them to come as often as they can because it is an endu- rance sport.” Berger said there is not, how- ever, a requirement of a specific amount of practice time to take part in competition. Chris McCall serves as head coach of the program with three assistant coaches and two oth- Garrett Pall swims the backstroke in the boys 12 and under 100- yard individual medley during a DAMA meet. Mikail Krochta wins his heat in the boys 12 and under 200-yard freestyle during a DAMA meet against Berwick. A a 2 BILL TARUTIS PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Hunter Kline wins her heat in the girls 12 and under 50-yard butterfly during a recent Dallas Mountaineer Aquatics Club meet. ers who volunteer part-time. There are no residency re- quirements to be part of the club which caters primarily to Back Mountain residents. Swim- mers from the Dallas and Lake- Lehman School Districts are part of the program this winter are some from Wyoming Valley West. Berger said some of the swim- mers naturally advance on to the high school level. Dallas High School won a District 2 Class AA boys championship last year. “Were finally becoming a pretty good feeder program into our school team,” she said. NEPAGSL meets are split into boys and girls competition with races in four age groups — 8-, 10-, 12- and 14-under. The Dallas team competes in the Southern Division with Ha- nover, Central Columbia, Wyom- ing Valley CYC, Pittston, Dan- ville and Berwick. Its schedule opened with a meet against Northern Division member De- laware Valley. A Dec. 16 meet at Valley View was the team’s third of the sea- son. The league schedule re- sumes Jan. 5 with a meet at Central Columbia. Tech students build dugouts at Dallas HS TE By TOM ROBINSON For the Dallas Post The Dallas High School base- ball program is getting new du- gouts and the students of West Side Career and Technology Cen- ter in Pringle are getting valuable experience. | “It’s a win-win for both Dallas ‘and for our students in gaining ‘experience of on-the-job train- |ing,” said Leo Dragon, a co-op in- |structor and project coordinator ‘at West Side CTC. A year ago, West Side CTC stu- dents rebuilt the first-base du- | gout at Wyoming Valley West af- (ter it was damaged in the hurri- (cane. . This winter, about 40 students the school’s carpentry classes are ‘taking part in the project to build first and third-base dugouts at the ‘Dallas field. Students ranging from fresh- ‘men to seniors are transported to ‘Dallas two to three times per ‘week in two groups — the morn- ling class from 9 to 11 a.m. and the ‘afternoon class from 2 to 4 p.m. “They’re doing this in addition their full-time academic sched- ,” Dragon said. “We work raround the academic schedules.” The students are building the 8-by-42-foot dugouts with pole- ‘barn designs. “There are 6-by-6 posts resting on concrete footings,” Dragon CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST David Tupp, a student at West Side Career & Technical Center, works on framing a new dugout. “It's a win-win for both Dallas and for our students in gaining experience of on-the-job training.” Leo Dragon Co-op instructor, West Side CTC said. “The students are involved in pouring footings. There is also an 8by-10 storage area on each dugout with poured concrete floors. “The students are involved with pouring the floors.” Dragon said West Side CTC ad- ministrative director Tkatch worked with the Dallas School District administration in arranging the project. AT RIGHT: Brandon Orlowski, a West Side Career & Technical Center student student, saws wood for the new Dallas High School baseball dugout. _ Hunter Kline, third DALLAS MOUNTAINEER AQUATIC CLUB Club splits The Dallas Mountaineer Ag- uatic Club split a dual meet with Valley View on Dec. 16 in the Northeast PA Age Group Swim League. The girls fell, 145-109, and the boys won, 115- 105. The following swimmers placed in their events: GIRLS 8 & UNDER 25 Free - Gabriella Spaciano, second 50 Free - Gabriella Spaciano, first; Jordan Bond, second 25 Fly - Jordan Bond, second 25 Back - Morgan Sakulich, second; Evelyn Toennes, third 25 Breast - Brook Martin, third 10 & UNDER 100 IM - Jordan Stefanowicz, third 50 Free - Lauren Hurst, third 50 Fly - Sydney Bittner, third 50 Back - Hannah Kline, third 50 Breast - Sydney Bittner, first; Jordan Stefanowicz, sec- ond 100 Free - Melissa Leonard, third 12 & UNDER 100 IM - Annalise Cheshire, first; Madison Federici, third 50 Free - Holly Holthaus, first; Ava Baur, second 50 Fly - Abby Zolner, first; IRE laa See SWIM, Page 10 swim meet 50 Back - Jordyn Miller, first; Peyton Ross, second 50 Breast - Madison Feder- ici, second; Jessica Ravert, third 100 Free - Annalise Cheshire, first; Ava Baur, second 200 Free - Peyton Ross, first; Jordyn Miller, second 14 & UNDER 200 Free - Taylor Cercone, second 100 Fly - Madison Hurst, first 100 Free - Melinda Ratch- ford, third 100 Back - Madison Hurst, second 100 Breast - Holly Holthaus, second 200 IM - Abby Zolner, first BOYS 8 & UNDER 25 Free - Gary Weaver, first; Jakob Baur, third 25 Fly - Thomas Doran, first; Tanner Manzoni, second 50 Free - Gary Weaver, sec- ond; Jakob Baur, third 25 Back - Stephen Brdaric, second; Thomas Doran, third 25 Breast - Tal Richards, first 10 & Under 50 Free - Shane Szczecinski, second 50 Fly - Dennis Dukinas, sec- ond
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