Penn-Trafford swimming has strong showing at WPIAL meet
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Monday, March 5, 2018 | 11:00 PM
The Penn-Trafford boys swimming team is sending at least one relay team to the PIAA Class AAA championship meet March 14-15 at Bucknell, just not the one it expected.
The 200-yard freestyle relay team of junior Luke Babik, sophomore Nick Graziano, senior John Sandala and senior Jacob Yant placed third (1 minute, 26.75 seconds) at the WPIAL championship March 1-2 at Pitt's Trees Pool, earning the final automatic qualifying spot.
The 400 freestyle relay team of Babik, Sandala, senior Zachary Snelling and Yant came in fifth (3:11.13) and had to wait for a bid as a time qualifier.
The 200 freestyle relay was seeded sixth and the 400 freestyle relay third at WPIALs. The 400 freestyle relay broke the school record by three seconds.
“We were so excited and shocked to take third in the 200 free relay,” Babik said. “(It was) one of my proudest moments.”
Babik also earned a medal in the 50 freestyle (21.69), in which he finished eighth.
Junior Logan Sherwin made the podium earlier in 1-meter diving, in which he placed sixth for the second consecutive season.
The Warriors came in fifth in team scoring.
For the girls, junior Hannah Muro shined, taking fifth place in the 100 backstroke (58.04) and sixth in the 50 freestyle (24.34). Muro anchored the 200 freestyle relay team of sophomore Corina Paszek, freshman Rebecca Good and senior Rachel Sich (1:39.70) and the 400 freestyle relay team of Paszek, sophomore Amanda Graves and Sich (3:38.75) that placed eighth and made trips to the podium.
Muro hoped for bids individually to the PIAA championship as a time qualifier.
“I'm really excited for states,” she said. “It will be fun because last year we only swam in a relay.”
Warriors coach Dave Babik, Luke Babik's father, was impressed by how fast both his squads were.
“Almost every swim was a lifetime best for each swimmer,” he said.
Junior Paige Kalik got WPIALs off to a good start by taking first place in 1-meter diving.
“For states, my goal is to hit all of my dives,” she said. “I know that if I dive like I did at WPIALs, I will have a good chance of earning a medal.”
The girls placed eighth in team scoring.
Karen Kadilak is a freelance writer.
Tags: Penn-Trafford
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