First Posted: 3/3/2015
WILKES-BARRE – Colin Florey learned a lot in his first season as a high school diver.
The Abington Heights junior put it to use this season, winning the District 2-4 Class AAA boys championship Feb. 23 at the CYC and earning a spot in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Swimming and Diving Championships March 11-14 at Bucknell University.
Florey’s victory gives Abington Heights a championship diver for the second straight year.
The first of those two championships, the District 2 girls title won last year by Annie Gromelski, was a big help to Florey.
“I had a great mentor last year when Annie Gromelski was a senior,” Florey said. “I learned a lot from her. It’s all about having fun while trying to do your best during the season.
“Then, when you get down to the last month, you have to really push yourself, try your best, focus and get ready for the competition.”
Florey was just fifth of 10 competitors last year when the Abington Heights boys competed in Class AA, but said he got a feel for the biggest meet of the year that came in handy this time.
Florey showed how ready he was for the postseason, taking an lead early and expanding it throughout while posting a score of 408.80, more than 103 points higher than last season.
Diving was held prior to the rest of the District 2 Swimming Championships, which were conducted Feb. 27-28 at the CYC.
Florey had the only win for the Abington Heights boys, who placed fourth of seven teams in the Class AAA regional event. The Comets scored 167 points. Williamsport edged Delaware Valley, 275-251, for the team title.
Noah Shapiro had the top swimming finish for the Comets, taking third in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Brendan Conahan, Charlie Gromelski, Benjamin Vale and Max Voyce took fourth in the 200 medley relay.
The Comets also had fifth-place finishes from Voyce in the 100 butterfly, Conahan in the 100 backstroke and the 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams.
Sydney Gualtieri led the Abington Heights girls to a second-place finish in District 2 Class AA.
Gualtieri won the team’s only gold medal, taking the 100 breaststroke. She also finished second in the 50 freestyle and was part of two second-place relay teams.
Leah Byman finished second in the 100 freestyle, joined Gualtieri on the silver medal efforts in the 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay.
Rachel Smertz and Laura Hartman completed those relay teams.
Smertz was third in the 200 free and fourth in the 500 free. Hartman was fourth in the 100 breaststroke.
Dallas ran away with the team title with 271 points.
Abington Heights outscored Scranton Prep, 178-157, for second place out of 16 teams.
Katie Voitik and Catherine Donlon led the way as the Classics won five events and finished second in another.
Voitik won the 200 free and 500 free while teaming on the 200 medley relay win and the second-place finish in the 200 freestyle relay. Catherine Donlon won the 100 butterfly and 100 freestyle while joining Voitik, Emily Donlon and Audrey Campo on the two relays.
The Scranton Prep boys won eight of 12 events while falling just short of the team title in District 2 Class AA.
Dallas edged Scranton Prep, 283-272, for the top spot in the 13-team field.
The Cavaliers swept all three relay wins while also picking up two individual titles each from Ben Evans and Nico Lastauskas and one from Ryan Sebastianelli.
Evans won the 200 freestyle and 100 breaststroke. Lastauskas won the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle. Sebastianelli won the 50 freestyle and took fourth in the 100 backstroke.
Michael Robinson was second in the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke.
Robinson, Evans, Lastauskas, Sebastianelli, Thomas Pfaeffle and Joseph Bushta each took part in two of the winning relays.
Bushta added a third-place individual finish while Pfaeffle and Conor McCoe were fourth.