Hitting the standard: Fillies, Menear have strong start to season
The Laurel Highlands girls had a pretty tough opening Section 4-AA meet last Thursday night, but the home team managed to eke out a 79-73 victory over visiting Freeport.
The first home meet might just be the last live meet the Fillies host this winter given the conditions brought about in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. The remaining home meets will likely be held virtually.
The season was effectively shut down for nearly a month, so swimmers were out of the pool for awhile.
Laurel Highlands sophomore Ella Ciez said her conditioning is not quite where it was last year, but still managed to put in two solid individual performances. Ciez won the 50 freestyle in 25.58 seconds, just .18 seconds off the WPIAL qualifying time, and placed second to Freeport鈥檚 Lexi Schrecengost in the 100 breaststroke.
鈥淚鈥檓 60-70 percent of where I should be,鈥� said Ciez. 鈥淚鈥檒l definitely improve incrementally. It鈥檚 mainly how I feel in practice.
鈥淚鈥檓 trying to get WPIAL times and then lowering them.鈥�
Teams usually have a handful of meets in before the Christmas break, but this season is unique. Plus, the uncertainty of how the next couple months will play out can affect a swimmer鈥檚 approach to training and securing times.
鈥淭his is the first meet of the season. I feel it should be the middle of the season,鈥� explained Ciez. 鈥淚鈥檒l definitely go out every time. I鈥檒l take it out every time in case it鈥檚 my last meet of the season.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 going to happen.鈥�
Ciez anchored the 400 freestyle relay of Maria Mrosko, Elizabeth Thomas and Cecilia Mrosko to the meet-clinching points with a first-place finish in 4:06.50.
Maria Mrosko had two WPIAL qualifying swims. The LH senior won the 100 butterfly in 1:00.86 and finished the 200 IM in 2:15.62, although she was second to Mapletown鈥檚 Ella Menear. Menear finished first, but did not factor in the final results as an independent swimmer.
Menear not only qualified in the 200 IM with a time of 2:13.24 after she battled with Mrosko for most of the eight-lap race, but did so in the 100 backstroke after she edged the Fillies鈥� Elizabeth Thomas with a time of 59.99 seconds. Thomas won the team points with her qualifying time of 1:01.58.
Menear was a bit slower than she hoped to be, but at least posted a pair of qualifying times.
鈥淚 wanted to go around 2:10 today. I鈥檓 not real happy, but I tried my hardest,鈥� said Menear. 鈥淚t did help to have Maria (Mrosko) on my side (in the 200 IM).
鈥淚鈥檓 not worried about getting cuts for the WPIALs. I just want a good seed time.鈥�
Without benefit of a school program, Menear swims with a club in Morgantown. Shutdowns in West Virginia closed down high school and club activities, but Menear was able to keep swimming at the Mylan pool where she normally trains.
鈥淚t was just me and my friends trying to train,鈥� said Menear. 鈥淢y coach sent us sets, but practicing by myself is hard for me. It鈥檚 hard to find motivation by myself. Practice by myself is different.
鈥淚鈥檇 say I鈥檓 around 80 percent. I鈥檇 say the backstroke and freestyle, it鈥檚 coming back. I can tell if I don鈥檛 feel good in the breaststroke and butterfly.鈥�
Menear added, 鈥淭his year has been a challenge physically and mentally. I just want to swim.鈥�
The Fillies鈥� Cecilia Mrosko also had a first-place finish by touching the wall first in the 500 freestyle in 6:02.45.