Cubbler a favorite entering PSACs
When the PSAC Swimming Championship is held next Wednesday through Saturday in York, they better make room at the top of the pedestal for Becca Cubbler. And, it’s most likely she’ll be there more than once during the meet.
The Bloomsburg junior from Royersford and a Spring-Ford is ranked first in the 200 freestyle (1:50.94) and the 500 freestyle (4:56.46). She’s second in both the 1,000 freestyle (10:23.32) and the 1,650 freestyle (17:08.71). In addition, Cubbler swims anchor on three relay teams – the 400 free (3:28.47) is ranked first and will be defending its championship, the 800 free is ranked second (7:38.95) and the 400 medley is ranked third (3:51.04).
“Becca has had an amazing year leading up to the conference championships,” coach Stu Marvin said. “She posted lifetime bests in four events at our mid-season taper meet in December. And, her time in the 200 free broke her own record she set last season.”
The coach feels that Cubbler can look past the PSAC meet.
“Becca is currently ranked seventh in the 500 free in Division II,” Marvin said. “She competed in that event at last year’s NCAA Championship and with her current ranking inside the Top 10 we feel that Becca will more than likely be making the trip again this season.”
The Division II Championship is set for March 1316 in Indianapolis, Ind. CAROLINE DUFFY (METHACTON) >> The junior continues to sparkle for the St. Joseph’s women’s indoor track team. At the Fastrack National Invite on Feb. 8 at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, Duffy finished first out of 88 sprinters in the 200 meter dash with a time of 24.92. She also finished third out of 26 in the 400 meter dash invite race, the second collegian to finish, with a time of 56.47. Both times met the ECAC Division I qualifying standard, the meet set for March 8 in Boston, Mass. Prior to that, Duffy and the Hawks will be competing in the Atlantic 10 Conference Championships next Saturday and Sunday at Ocean Breeze. JIMMY FRATANTONI (OWEN J. ROBERTS) >> The senior captured the 174 pound title for the Muhlenberg wrestling team at the Centennial Conference Championships on Feb. 9 in Kings Point, N.Y. It was his first career tournament title. Fratantoni was 10-4 at 184 pounds until moving to 174 for the Mules at the end of the season. He reached the finals with a major decision and a decision and captured the crown with an 8-3 decision in the finals. He scored takedowns in each of the three periods and secured the win with a takedown after a long tie-up at the end of the match. STEPHANIE FALCONE (PERKIOMEN SCHOOL) >> The 5-foot-5 junior scored a career-high five goals to lead the Wagner women’s lacrosse team to a 14-4 victory over Iona last Wednesday in Staten Island, N.Y. She took 12 shots in the game and also picked up two ground balls. Falcone had an assist and a draw control as the Seahawks opened their season with a 17-6 loss to Vanderbilt on Feb. 10 in Nashville, Tenn. She entered the season having played in 37 games with 18 goals and seven assists. She also had eight draw controls and five ground balls. PAYTON MILES (THE HILL SCHOOL) >> The junior from Limerick will be out to better her performance for the Lehigh women’s swim team at the Patriot League Championships starting Wednesday in Lewisburg. Miles will be defending her 100 freestyle title (50.05). She also finished second in the 50 free (23.13) after capturing the crown in that event (22.80) as a freshman. Miles got a good prep for the championships when she won the 50 free (23.54) and finished second to a teammate in the 100 free (51.83) in a 161-137 league loss to Bucknell on Jan. 26 in Lewisburg, the loss snapping Lehigh’s seven meet winning streak. MADDIE GEBERT (OWEN J. ROBERTS) >> The 5-fooot-7 junior is off to a great start with the Temple women’s lacrosse team, the Owls 1-1 after a 12-10 victory over Rutgers last Wednesday in Piscataway, N.J. Gebert had three goals and an assist in the game. She kicked off the season by scoring two goals in a 7-4 loss to Delaware on Feb. 8 in Philadelphia. She also had five ground balls, three caused turnovers and a draw control in the two games. Gebert had 33 goals including five hat tricks last Season. ANNIE GLODEK (PERKIOMEN VALLEY) >> The sophomore has posted personal best times in her last two races for the Cornell women’s indoor track team. She finished third out of 29 runners in the mile at the Cornell Sunday Invitational on Feb. 10 in Ithaca, N.Y. with a time of 5:09.86. Prior to that, Glodek finished third out of 23 in the 3,000 meter run at the Robert J. Kane Invitational on Jan. 26 in Ithaca with a time of 10:28.88. She is also competing with the 4x800 relay for the Big Red this winter. KELLY WILLIAMSON (POPE JOHN PAUL II) >> The junior has competed in three different distances for the Loyola (Md.) women’s indoor track team and she’s posted personal records in all three of them. Williamson finished sixth in the 5,000 meter run (19:08.81) at the 2019 Navy Elite meet on Feb. 8 in Annapolis, Md. and was seventh in the 3,000 meter run (10:51.61) at the Patriot Games on Jan.25-26 in Fairfax, Va. She also posted her best time in the mile (5:26.84) when she finished 37th at the Great Dane Classic on Jan. 12 in Staten Island, N.Y. LUKE WAITE (PERKIOMEN VALLEY) >> The junior and the Rollins men’s swim team heads to Clearwater, Fla., this Thursday for the Sunshine State Conference Championships. Waite prepped for the title meet by winning the 200 freestyle in 1:48.71 and finishing third in the 100 freestyle in 50.07 against Lynn on Feb. 2. He also competes in the 50 free and 500 free for the Tars and picked up a victory in the 500 (5:08.22) against Florida Tech on Jan. 25. Waite also swims with the freestyle relay teams. SAVANNA SHIER (PHOENIXVILLE) >> The junior finished fourth out of 48 entrants in the weight throw for the West Chester women’s indoor track team at the Fastrack National Invite on Feb. 8 at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, N.Y. She posted a person best toss of 43 feet, 10 inches. Shier had a personal record in the shot put when she finished 10th with a 36 foot, 6 ¼ effort at the Moravian College Indoor Meet on Jan. 26 in Bethlehem. Shier competed in the pole vault prior to switching to the throws. CHAD SMILEY (SPRING-FORD) >> The sophomore finished third in the pole vault for the Monmouth men’s indoor track team at the school’s Winter Collegiate Invitational on Feb. 8-9 in West Long Branch, N.J. He cleared 13 feet, 5 ¼ inches. He hit the same height when he finished fourth in the Angry Birds Challenge on Jan. 12 in Bethlehem. Freshman Shane Ainscoe (Spring-Ford) helped the DMR finish first (10:37.82) and was 13th in the mile (4:37.90) at the Winter Collegiate Invitational for the Hawks. DYLAN BENNETT (BOYERTOWN) >> The senior sprinter finished 11th in the 500 meter dash for the Alvernia men’s indoor track team at the Monmouth Winter Collegiate Invitational Feb. 8-9 in West Long Branch, N.J. He was the third non-Division I or club runner to cross the line with a personal best time of 1:12.82. Bennett also had a personal best time when he finished 33rd out of 53 sprinters in the 400 meter dash in 56.02 at the Frank Colden Invitational on Feb. 2 in Collegeville. He also competes in the 60 meter dash for the Golden Wolves during the winter.