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Nanticoke Area advances to states semifinals

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Penny Auction raises funds for King’s College scholarship

<p>LEWISBURG &#8212; For the final time in four decades, Wyoming Valley West exited the PIAA Swimming Championships natatorium under the guidance of longtime coach Frank Tribendis.</p><p>There were no medals around any of his swimmer&#8217;s necks but junior Maxim Kowalski was high spirits, as always.</p><p>&#8220;When I grow older, I still think that Frank will be alive,&#8221; Kowalski joked. &#8220;He&#8217;s in the Hall of Fame. He&#8217;s the best coach in the valley. He&#8217;s the reason we&#8217;re here today. I give him all my credit &#8211; 99 percent, my parents would get 1 percent. He showed me how to swim and be here today.&#8221;</p><p>Tribendis completes his 37-year coaching career with a 22 boys and 25 girls District 2 championships. The Pennsylvania Swimming Hall of Fame recipient coached a pair of Class 3A gold medals from Corey Welch in 2001.</p><p>&#8220;It feels pretty good,&#8221; junior Josh Zawatski said. &#8220;It kind of feels like a blessing and a curse because at least you did the best for your coach but you also know it&#8217;s his time to go.&#8221;</p><p>The Wyoming Valley West boys finished in 31st overall with 11 points at this weekend&#8217;s PIAA Class 3A Swimming Championships at Bucknell University. This week&#8217;s inclement weather forced the championships to change to a timed finals format for the first time since 2007.</p><p>Wyoming Valley West&#8217;s best performance came with an 11th place showing in the 200 medley relay on Saturday night. The Spartans&#8217; foursome of Kowalski, Zac Rosencrans, Logan Fluegel and Zawatski slashed 1.5 seconds off their seed time to clock in at a time of 1:35.49.</p><p>The Spartans took glee that their performance was quicker than their Wyoming Valley Conference rival Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s best time of the season. Wyoming Valley West registered a quarter-second faster than the time the Blue Knights would have won a Class 2A gold medal had it not been for a disqualification.</p><p>Zawatski had an equipment malfunction during his 100 free that cost him a chance at his first medal. The junior sprinter was forced to swim blind after his goggles began letting in water. He dropped 14 places from his seeding to 26th with a 47.83-second swim.</p><p>&#8220;I dove into the water, and they started filling up on me,&#8221; Zawatski said. &#8220;It&#8217;s kind of sad. I did less (that what) I expected but it was still a good race.&#8221;</p><p>Swimming in his final high school race, Fluegel came in 32nd place in 55.09 seconds in the 100 back. On Saturday, he crossed 32-hundredths off his seed to take 16th in 51.27 seconds in the 100 butterfly.</p><p>&#8220;Personally, I didn&#8217;t do as well as I wanted to (in the backstroke),&#8221; Fluegel said. &#8220;It&#8217;s OK because a loss is sometimes better than a win. You just have to learn from your mistakes and just do better.</p><p>On the girls&#8217; side, the Spartans&#8217; Alexis Ivanitch had the conference&#8217;s best individual performance in 27th place in the 100 breast.</p><p><strong>PIAA Class 3A Girls Swimming Championships</strong></p><p><strong>Standings</strong> &#8211; 1. Avon Grove 228.5, 2. Upper Dublin 176.5, 3. Mt. Lebanon 140, 4. North Penn 133, 5. Conestoga 132</p><p><strong>50 Free </strong>&#8211; 32. WVW Chelsea Mackiewicz 25.53</p><p><strong>100 Back</strong> &#8211; 31. HAZ Marina O&#8217;Hara 1:03.94</p><p><strong>100 Breast</strong> &#8211; 27. WVW Alexis Ivanitch 1:05.98</p><p><strong>400 Free Relay</strong> &#8211; 21. HAZ (Amy Collins, Megan Llewellyn, Marina O&#8217;Hara, Hayley Sanko) 3:53.73</p><p><strong>PIAA Class 3A Boys Swimming Championships</strong></p><p><strong>Day 2</strong></p><p><strong>Standings</strong> &#8211; 1. North Allegheny 271, 2. La Salle College 183, 3. State College 156.5, 4. North Penn (Lansdale) 144, 5. Conestoga 135, 31. Wyoming Valley West 13</p><p><strong>200 Medley Relay</strong> &#8211; 11. WVW (Maxim Kowalski, Zac Rosencrans, Logan Fluegel, Josh Zawatski) 1:35.49</p><p><strong>200 IM</strong> &#8211; 31. HAZ Jorge Moncayo 2:02.79</p><p><strong>50 Free</strong> &#8211; 25. WVW Josh Zawatski 21.73</p><p><strong>100 Fly</strong> &#8211; 16. WVW Logan Fluegel 51.27; 26. HAZ Jorge Moncayo 52.1</p><p><strong>100 Free</strong> &#8211; 26. WVW Josh Zawatski 47.83</p><p><strong>100 Back</strong> &#8211; 32. WVW Logan Fluegel 55.09</p><p><strong>100 Breast</strong> &#8211; 32. WVW Zac Rosencrans 1:02.21</p><p><strong>400 Free Relay</strong> &#8211; 22. WVW (Josh Zawatski, Maxim Kowalski, Ivan Volynets, Logan Fluegel) 3:17.33</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Valley West&#8217;s Zac Rosencrans swims the boys 100 yard breaststroke at the PIAA Class 3A swimming championships at Bucknell University in Lewisburg on Sunday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_Boys3Aswimming_3-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wyoming Valley West&#8217;s Zac Rosencrans swims the boys 100 yard breaststroke at the PIAA Class 3A swimming championships at Bucknell University in Lewisburg on Sunday afternoon. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_Girls3Aswimming_2-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Hazleton Area&#8217;s Megan Llewellyn swims the second leg of the girls 400 yard freestyle relay at the PIAA Class 3A swimming championships at Bucknell University in Lewisburg on Sunday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_Girls3Aswimming_2-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Hazleton Area&#8217;s Megan Llewellyn swims the second leg of the girls 400 yard freestyle relay at the PIAA Class 3A swimming championships at Bucknell University in Lewisburg on Sunday afternoon. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_Girls3Aswimming_3-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Hazleton Area&#8217;s Hayley Saanko swims the final leg of the girls 400 yard freestyle relay at the PIAA Class 3A swimming championships at Bucknell University in Lewisburg on Sunday afternoon. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_Girls3Aswimming_3-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>Hazleton Area&#8217;s Hayley Saanko swims the final leg of the girls 400 yard freestyle relay at the PIAA Class 3A swimming championships at Bucknell University in Lewisburg on Sunday afternoon. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </caption2><photoCredit2>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_Boys3Aswimming_1-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Valley West&#8217;s Josh Zawatski swims the boys 100 yard freestyle at the PIAA Class 3A swimming championships at Bucknell University in Lewisburg on Sunday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_Boys3Aswimming_1-1.jpg</photo3><caption3>Wyoming Valley West&#8217;s Josh Zawatski swims the boys 100 yard freestyle at the PIAA Class 3A swimming championships at Bucknell University in Lewisburg on Sunday afternoon. </caption3><photoCredit3>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_Boys3Aswimming_2-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Valley West&#8217;s Logan Fluegel swims the boys 100 yard backstroke at the PIAA Class 3A swimming championships at Bucknell University in Lewisburg on Sunday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_Boys3Aswimming_2-1.jpg</photo4><caption4>Wyoming Valley West&#8217;s Logan Fluegel swims the boys 100 yard backstroke at the PIAA Class 3A swimming championships at Bucknell University in Lewisburg on Sunday afternoon. </caption4><photoCredit4>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_Girls3Aswimming_1-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Long-time Wyoming Valley West swimming coach Frank Tribendis chats with a friend between events at the PIAA Class 3A swimming championships at Bucknell University in Lewisburg on Sunday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/web1_Girls3Aswimming_1-1.jpg</photo5><caption5>Long-time Wyoming Valley West swimming coach Frank Tribendis chats with a friend between events at the PIAA Class 3A swimming championships at Bucknell University in Lewisburg on Sunday afternoon. </caption5><photoCredit5>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit5></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jay Monahan</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Times Leader sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @tlsports.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

WVW Spartans celebrate coach Frank Tribendis’ legacy