Led by senior Monica Sowinski and bolstered by a large freshman class, the Latrobe girls swimming team expects to be among top squads in the WPIAL and state again this season.
The Wildcats finished fourth at the WPIAL and PIAA championship meets the past two years.
They are 4-0, including a Section 1-AAA win over Laurel Highlands, heading into their next meet Thursday against visiting Franklin Regional.
Sowinski, who has signed a letter of intent to Kentucky, was first in the 200-yard freestyle (1 minute, 50.45 seconds) and second in the 100 freestyle (51.09 seconds) at the WPIAL championships last year.
She went on to make the finals in both at the state meet.
She anchored 200 and 400 freestyle relays that finished second in the WPIAL and reached the PIAA finals.
Junior Megan Douds returns from both relays.
Junior Karley Owens (200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke) also competed in the WPIAL meet last year.
Coach Grey Arrigonie said the Wildcats have depth to fill holes in relays left by the departures of Kayla Owens — Karley's sister — and Gina DeFrancesco.
Kayla Owens, a freshman on the Duquesne women's team, was WPIAL runner-up in the 100 butterfly (56.05) and 100 breaststroke (1:03.23) last year and in the 200 individual medley (2:05.09) in 2013.
She was a state individual finalist in two events last year.
DeFrancesco reached the WPIAL finals in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle a year ago.
“We lost a couple studs (in DeFrancesco and Kayla Owens), but we still have a strong core,” Arrigonie said. “This is one of our bigger freshman classes.
“We have a good (number) of freshmen; we'll plug some relays with them.”
Arrigonie expects Rylee Jackson and Abby Pacek to shine in their first year on the team.
Taylor Miller is a talented newcomer in 1-meter diving, Arrigonie said.
Arrigonie considers Sowinski a superb role model for younger team members.
“I try to keep them excited for meets and make it fun,” said Sowinski, 17.
A lack of depth will hurt the Latrobe boys team (2-2 overall, 0-1 in Section 1-AAA), said Arrigonie, who also coaches the boys.
“We really can't win meets,” said senior captain Michael Marinchak, noting he and teammates are focusing instead on qualifying individually for the WPIAL championships.
Marinchak (50 freestyle and 100 freestyle) and senior Taylor Barta (1-meter diving) competed individually at WPIALs last year.
Karen Kadilak is a freelance writer.
