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Towanda boys hope to make it to states
Published: December 26, 2009
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From the time they start swimming, every high school swimmer has the same goal, to make it to the state meet.
Last year the Towanda Black Knights had a swimmer accomplish that goal as Mustafa Chalabi broke the school record in the butterfly and earned a spot in the PIAA Championships.
Chalabi has graduated, but the swimmers who remain all hope to make it an annual trip to states for the Towanda swim team.
"I would give anything to make it to states," senior Kevin Jurnack said. "That's the goal for all of us. We don't want him to be the only Towanda person to go to states."
For the returning Towanda swimmers last year was a sign that they too were capable of making it to the PIAA Championships.
"I swim the same event as him, so that definitely motivates me," senior Preston Van Allen said. "I want to try and get the school record, if I can get his school record, I think then I can make it to states."
Both Jurnack and Van Allen worked with Chalabi and the other Towanda seniors last year and they know that they are putting in the same kind of work it takes to make it to states.
"We are working hard," Jurnack said. "I was putting in the same kind of yardage as he was. We just need to keep working hard."
While they are working to make it to states, Jurnack and Van Allen also find themselves as senior leaders this year and that is a role they take seriously.
"We lost some good swimmers from last year, so we all have to step up this year," Jurnack said. "It's not just us, it's also the freshman, sophomores and juniors, everyone needs to step up."
And to continue to pile up wins like they did last year the seniors know that everyone needs to step up to replace the points that were lost with the graduating class.
"We are doing good, but we know we need everyone on this team to help," Van Allen said.
One thing that helps with the new leadership role is that last year both Jurnack and Van Allen felt like equals with the seniors.
"It's not too difficult because last year's seniors, they really shared the leadership with us, they let us really help out a lot," Jurnack said.
One of the challenges this year is for the swimmers to find new ways to push themselves to get better.
"For me Austin (Van Allen) was right with me we were toe and toe together, now I really have to push myself more," Jurnack said.
While Van Allen and Jurnack are taking the leadership roles this year, they are also trying to help the younger kids so they will be ready to take the reigns next year.
"It will be interesting to see what happens next year," Jurnack said. "They will definitely need to step up. They will step up, everyone on this team gives 100 percent."
While both seniors are enjoying this year, they also know their careers are going to come to an end soon.
"It's tough we have to do whatever we can do each and every meet," Jurnack said. "We have to treat every meet like it could be our last, because every one could be our last."
"Coach told us at the start of the year we have 13 meets to go," Van Allen said. "Now we have about 10 meets left, it's tough to know it's going to end."
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