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The Cabrini College women’s swim team wrapped up the first semester with four straight dual meet victories and junior Lauren Finnegan was right in the middle of the action.

The Cavaliers started the string with a 115-89 victory over Elizabethtown on Nov. 28 in Bryn Mawr. Finnegan, from Dallas and a Dallas High graduate, won the 200 freestyle (2:05.21) and finished second in the 500 free (5:40.62) and finished second with the 200 medley relay (1:59.78).

In a 142-120 triumph over Alfred State on Dec. 1 in Alfred N.Y., she finished first in the 500 free (5:39.69) and first in the 1000 freestyle (11:40.71).

Then, on Dec. 9 in Radnor, Finnegan captured the 1000 free (11:29.47), finished second in the 100 butterfly (1:08.89) and with the 200 medley relay (1:47.67) and fourth in the 100 backstroke (1:15.68) as the Cavaliers defeated Bethany (W.Va.) 203-27 and Franciscan (OH) 161-89.

“Lauren is primed and ready for the best season of her career,” coach Cindy Ikeler said. “She is training at a higher level than she has at this time over the last two years, including posting some lifetime bests.”

The coach feels that Finnegan’s times will make her an impact at the Atlantic East Conference Championships Feb. 15-17 in Scranton.

“Lauren’s impact on the team goes well beyond just her wins and points in a meet,” Ikeler said. “She is one of our captains and she has developed into a leader who is willing to make tough choices in the best interest of the team. Out of the pool, she is also one of our top students with a clear vision of her future and how she will get there.”

Emily Malone (Army)

The junior finished fifth in the 60 meter dash and sixth in the 200 meter dash as the women’s indoor track team opened its season at Army’s Crowell Open on Dec. 1 in West Point, N.Y. The Hazleton Area grad was clocked in 7.98 in the 60, which was the same time she recorded when she finished third in the prelims. Her 200 time was 26.72.

Malone finished fourth in the 200 (25.26) and 11th in the 60 (7.75) at the Patriot League Indoor Championships as a sophomore and was seventh in the 200 (25.27) and 10th in the 60 (7.84) as a freshman.

Mitchell Forgash (King’s)

The freshman captured the 800 meter run in his debut with the men’s indoor track team at Franklin & Marshall’s annual Diplomat Open on Dec. 1 in Lancaster. The Wyoming Valley West grad covered the distance in 2:00.61 to beat out 35 other runners.

Forgash also finished third out of 36 sprinters in the 400 meter dash. His time was 52.55 and a club runner and a sophomore were the only two entrants that finished ahead of him.

Phil Cocco (Scranton)

The 6-foot-1 freshman made his debut with the men’s indoor track team at Susquehanna’s River Hawk Open on Nov. 30 in Selinsgrove. The Pittston Area grad finished eighth in the shot put with a toss of 39 feet, 2 ½ inches and was 11th in the weight throw with a 36 foot, ¾ inch effort. Cocco was the top freshman finisher in the weight throw and the second best freshman competitor in the weight throw.

There was no team scoring in the meet.

Nick Hannon (Keystone)

The true freshman and fellow true freshman John Hooper are seeing action with wrestling team. Both are Hanover Area grads.

Hannon is 4-2 at 285 pounds and finished 1-2 with a pin as the 4-14 Giants went 0-4 in the Kalahari Duals to close out the first semester on Dec. 15 in Sandusky, OH. It was Hannon’s third pin of the season. Hooper is 7-6 at 184 pounds but moved up to 197 pounds for the Kalahari meet where he went 0-4. He has a fall and a major decision.

Colton Smith (Susquehanna)

The freshman is a versatile performer for the men’s swim team. The Holy Redeemer grad competes mainly in the 500, 1000 and 1650 freestyle events, but also swims the 400 IM, the 200 backstroke and the 200.

His best finish came in the 500 free when he was fifth with a time of 5:33.37 in a 156-86 loss to Division II Bloomsburg on Oct. 27 in Selinsgrove. He also finished sixth in both the 200 back (2:20.32) and the 200 fly (2:24.95) in a tri-meet against Drew and Marywood on Nov. 3 in Madison, N.J.

Abby Norwillo (Penn)

The freshman earned a bid to the Division I ECAC Indoor Track Championships after she finished third behind two upperclassmen teammates as the women’s team turned back Harvard 63-41 in an Ivy League dual meet on Dec. 8 in Cambridge, Mass. The Pittston Area grad cleared 12 feet, 6 inches which matched her two teammates but they reached the height in fewer tries.

Norwillo opened the indoor season at the TCNJ Indore Open on Dec. 1 at the Armory in New York City but didn’t obtain a height.

Erin Gibbons (Mansfield)

The women’s basketball team is 0-9 overall and 0-5 in PSAC East play, but the sophomore guard is having a solid season with the Mounties.

The Wyoming Valley West grad leads the team in scoring with a 13.0 average. She’s also averaging 4.0 rebounds with 14 assists and a team-high 15 steals. She opened the season by scoring 22 points in a 77-57 loss to Roberts Wesleyan on Nov. 20 in Rochester, N.Y. and came back with 20 points in a 90-71 setback to Pitt-Johnstown on Nov. 28 in Mansfield.

Kaylee Soboleski (Eastern)

The sophomore opened her season with the women’s indoor track team by finishing fifth out of 13 competitors in the shot put at the Haverford Holiday meet on Dec. 8 in Haverford. The Holy Redeemer grad had a heave of 30 feet, 7 ½ inches which she hit on her first attempt of the day.

She fell short of her personal record of 35 feet, 11 ½ inches which she posted when she finished fifth in the Keogh Invitational last February also in Haverford.

Andrea Shipton (Hamilton)

The freshman kicked off her career with the women’s indoor track team by finishing fifth out of 15 competitors in the pole vault at the season-opening Utica College Pioneer Winter Classic on Dec. 8 in Utica, N.Y. The Crestwood grad cleared 10 feet on her third try of her fourth set. Shipton was the top freshman finisher with two others also hitting 10 feet, but she did it in fewer tries. She had three tries at 10 feet, 6 inches, the winning height, but didn’t clear the bar on any of them.

Jacob Kwiatkowski (Delaware Valley)

The freshman began his career with the men’s indoor track team by finishing 12th in the 60 meter hurdles and 13th in the 200 meter dash at Monmouth’s OceanFirst Bank Classic on Nov. 30-Dec. 1 in West Long Branch, N.J.

Competing against Division I and club athletes, his time in the 60 hurdles was 11.37 and his time in the 200 dash was 28.23. The Hanover Area grad was the fifth Division III finisher in the 200.

Dallas grad Lauren Finnegan is making an impact on the Cabrini College women’s swim team, posting a handful of top finishes in November and December.
Dallas grad Lauren Finnegan is making an impact on the Cabrini College women’s swim team, posting a handful of top finishes in November and December. Submitted photo

By Bill Arsenault

For Times Leader

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