‘We’re a team but we’re not’
Four schools share training, medals in championships
It’s an unlikely band of brothers, brought together by both circumstances and swimming.
Notre Dame-Green Pond is without a pool or team. Pen Argyl is without a pool or team. Moravian Academy has a swim team. Wilson has a pool at its middle school.
And so, they all practice together and they compete together and have fun together. This year, they produced six titles during Sunday’s District 11 Class 2A boys swimming championships at Parkland High School.
“We’re a huge family,” said Notre Dame’s Francesco D’Avella, who claimed the 100 breaststroke crown for the second time in three years. “A lot of fast kids and we push each other every day.”
Blue Mountain, with 356.5 points, secured the 2A team title for a third straight year. Central Catholic was second with 307 points.
D’Avella ended the individual portion of the boys session in the 100 breaststroke. His classmate at Notre Dame, junior RJ Farina, won two titles — in the 200 freestyle and in the 500 free for a second straight season.
Pen Argyl senior David LaBarre prevailed in both the 200 individual medley and the 100 backstroke. Junior Danny Hayes of Pen Argyl took the 100 butterfly title.
So, four swimmers from two schools without teams combined to win six of the eight individual races.
They’re all quick and willing to credit their coaches and friends at Moravian Academy for welcoming them with open arms. Lions coach Shannon Danaher said she considers them all her swimmers. And, in turn, they consider Moravian Academy their team.
“If we did have a pool [at Pen Argyl],” LaBarre said, “I wouldn’t see Moravian and I wouldn’t see Notre Dame and I wouldn’t have all the friends I have now. It’s way worth it not having a pool to combine all these teams together and have so much fun and so many great swimmers.”
“It’s so much fun,” Farina said. “I love swimming with those guys.”
They all loved the results from Sunday.
Farina, perhaps the most talented of the four, is much improved from a season ago. Farina won the 200 free in 1:43.53 and the 500 free in 4:43.23. His times last year were 1:49.11 and 4:57.55.
The brother of eight-time district champion Gianna Farina, RJ dedicated himself to the weight room and to improving his diet during the pandemic.
“I’m bigger, stronger and faster in the pool,” he said. “I was right where I wanted to be and I’ve definitely got a lot more left in the tank. I’m going to really train hard the next week, then back off after that and get ready for states.”
Farina shared the Dennis A. McGinley Award as the meet’s most outstanding swimmer with Zaidian Van Orden, a senior from Pottsville.
D’Avella dominated in the 100 breaststroke, clocking 59.92 seconds.
He won the event as a freshman, then was edged out by twin brother Fulvio a season ago. Fulvio did not compete in the 100 breaststroke this year but finished tied for fourth in the 50 free.
“It was fun,” Francesco D’Avella said, “and I was happy to win. I wanted to get under a minute so I’m happy with the time.”
Also pleased with their performances were Pen Argyl’s Hayes and LaBarre.
Hayes finished first in the 100 butterfly in 51.85 seconds. LaBarre timed 1:57.88 to claim the 200 IM and 53.03 to take the 100 backstroke. Hayes placed second to LaBarre in the backstroke by two seconds.
“I was so happy with the 200 IM,” LaBarre said. “After four months of quarantine, to be where I am today, it’s crazy for me to get that time. The 100 back I’m OK with.”
“I’m really happy,” Hayes said, “with the way it turned out. It would’ve been nice to drop a little more time but that’s all right.”
District 11 champions qualified for the PIAA Swimming Championships, set for March 19-20 at Cumberland Valley High School.
That includes Central Catholic’s 400 freestyle relay team of Eamon Cunningham, David Castano, James Manley and Nathan Harris. The Vikings were victorious in 3:24.00.
The team title went to Blue Mountain but Farina thinks if his Crusaders and the Green Knights would ever officially join forces with the Lions, it could be a bit different.
“We’re a team but we’re not,” Farina said. “We talk about it all the time if we really were a team. I think we could win districts. We could win states.”