Swimming-lee well

The Section 1-AAA schedule hasn't started yet, but the Connellsville boys swim team has already qualified for the WPIAL meet in one event and is off to a 7-0 beginning to its season.

"They're off to a really good start," coach Ashley Yelinek said. "We started off 7-0 last year as well, but everyone has been swimming a lot better than last year. The boys have already qualified (for WPIALs) in the 200 free relay, and they're close in the 400 (freestyle) relay. Hopefully, by the end of the season, they can get that one."

The 200 freestyle relay team, which qualified for the WPIAL meet, featured some of the best swimmers among the Falcons' 13 boys. Alan Nedley, Kyle Coughenour, Danny Kozel and Mark Tringhese combined to record the qualifying time.

"Alan does extremely well for the team. He's having a great season," Yelinek said. "He can swim anything we put him in, wherever we need him."

Nedley was a state qualifier in his sophomore and junior years. He already has set a record in the 200 individual medley, and Yelinek said she expects the senior to set a few more before his high school career comes to an end.

Yelinek said several other members of the boys squad are also coming up big for Connellsville.

"Kyle (Coughenour) is doing very well this season," she said. "Each meet he's gotten better times and continued to improve. He's a senior, and he's really stepped up this year. (Senior) Eric Juengel has gotten a lot of best times and first places and has definitely helped the team out in winning some meets."

Yelinek also mentioned Tringhese, Cody Mastowski and Kozel and said the entire team has pulled together well this year. She stressed the importance of not only winning events but also picking up second and third places, both for the boys squad and the girls. That was never more apparent than in a recent meet against Trinity, in which both the boys and girls pulled off close victories thanks to those second- and third-place points.

"Trinity has definitely been our toughest so far. In the boys meet, it came down to the last relay. We really won that meet because our second and third swimmers beat their second and third swimmers," Yelinek said. "It definitely helps out, and it's exciting for the swimmers as well. They know they're helping the team to win the meet."

Though Connellsville's boys have won all of their meets to this point, Yelinek and the Falcons know the new year will bring new challenges in the form of section opponents such as Penn-Trafford, Norwin and Hempfield. But with the way the boys have been swimming this season, both coach and athletes seem optimistic that their winning streak will continue.

"We're working really hard in practice. All of the guys have a common goal," Nedley said. "We don't like to lose, and we want to keep going with this unbeaten streak."

Juengel said the Falcons are a balanced squad with talented swimmers, and Coughenour said that could take Connellsville far.

"We do have the talent to do anything this year," Coughenour said.

Connellsville will return to the pool Jan. 6, when it hosts Belle Vernon.