Cavalier swimmers dive into the new 1998-99 season

By Mike Reinhardt - September 1998
        The Cavalier Swim Team concluded last year's swim season at the PIAA District 11 meet, ending with a bounty of broken records and a hope for next season that more records would fall and that perhaps the swim team would have state competitors, a feat that has not been accomplished since Brian McDowell in the 94/95 season. Districts and states are a long way down the road for the cavalier swimmers however, first having to fight through the dual meet season. This has been made all the harder with the introduction of such swimming powerhouses as Parkland, traditionally the District 11 champion, Liberty; and the returning Northampton, one of the traditional rivals of the East Stroudsburg swim team. The swim team has high hopes for this season with the introduction of a new head coach, Adam Coffman, to the team, and a returning assistant coach, Shelly Lefante, all this signaling a great change for the returning swimmers, who are hoping for a positive impetus of change from the new coach.
        Returning to both halves of the team this year are the teams core swimmers, neither boys or girls having lost a large group of seniors last season. For the boys returns such experienced seniors as Kurt Fisher, Doug McDowell, Joe Mosier, Jacob Rudnicky, John Swineford, Dave Paciotti, and Mike Reinhardt; all of which are District hopefuls. Rory Duffy, and Jack Karsanac heading the juniors; Dan Lichty, Keoki Carey, Dave Sten, and Mike Tallada are the core of the returning lower classmen for which the team has high hopes for in this season and those to follow. The girls also retained the heart of their team lead by senior Jaime Peters, and returning juniors such as Jessie Spence, Liz Lord, Kamilla Kulenty, Melanie McGee, Heather Dickison, Michelle Castro,Kenelle Teats, and underclassmen Joanna Graff, Jen Sansosti, Ryan Bates, Ashley Warner, and Meghan Fitzmaurice. Both halves of the team are also receiving a fresh wind of young hopefuls from the incoming freshman, helping to fill the gaps created last year by the few graduating seniors.
        Traditional rivals such as Stroudsburg, Pocono Mountain, and Northampton are returning with strong teams as are the ever-potent Liberty and Parkland the new, strong rivals the Eastburg team will have to face. These five meets will be tough on both sides of the team and call for all school-spirited students to attend and cheer these swimmers on. Both halves of the swim team entertain a major hope of gaining the MVC title this upcoming year, as well as the hope of breaking many records. Mike Reinhardt, Kurt Fisher, Joe Mosier, Jake Rudnicky, Doug McDowell, and Rory Duffy, the primary state hopefuls for the boys, are going to be trying their hardest this season to make sure no previous record is left standing. The 200 medley relay record now held by Mosier, Rudnicky, Reinhardt, and Duffy is one of the prime candidates for breaking, as well as Reinhardt's 100 yard Butterfly record, Duffy's 200 IM record, Mosier's 500 yard freestyle record, and especially the 100 yard breaststroke record held by both Rudnicky and Duffy. On the girls side every record is up for grabs this year especially the 100 yard breaststroke record broken by both Graff and Spence and presently held by Graff ; as well as the 200 medley relay record set two years ago by a team including Lord and Spence. Lord, Spence, and Graff , as well as Jen Sansosti and Michelle Castro are the heart of the girls returning district hopefuls.
        In a study of sports, swimming was found to be one of the toughest sports on the human body requiring huge physical stress , endurance, and strength second only to that of motocross. Considering this fact the dedication of these athletes cannot be questioned knowing that a majority of these swimmers have already started preseason training outside of school within the YMCA program, and will soon be involved in a preseason swimming clinic with the high school for a season that does not start officially until November. Any person interested in joining the swim team should contact Mr. Coffman or Mrs. Lefante, and try to attend the preseason clinic that is open to both experienced and beginning swimmers alike.

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