NEPA Sports Nation

Watkins leads Dallas boys to title

By Marisa Dambach, NEPASportsNation.com

PLAINS TWP. – Four first-place finishes from Maddoc Watkins helped secure the Class 2A boys team title for Dallas Friday and Saturday in the District 2 Swimming and Diving Championships at Wilkes-Barre Area High School.

Dallas outscored Tunkhannock, 282-193, to capture the title.

Watkins’ wins in the 200-yard freestyle and the 100 freestyle set district records with times of 1:40.53 and 46.01.

Watkins was also a part of the winning 200 and 400 freestyle relay along with Jacob Hoegen and Landon Daney. Artem Smagin completed the 200 team and Tommy Doran was the other swimmer on the 400 relay.

Hoegen took third in the 100 freestyle, adding points to the Dallas score.

Wyoming Seminary’s Zhantore Akylbekov won the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke, just missing the district records in both events. He was also part of the gold-medal 200 medley relay, which also consisted of Jack Heisler, Harry Feng and Kevin Yang.

Feng also added first-place points for Sem with a win in the 50 freestyle.

MMI Prep’s Woobie Kupsky won two events as the only boy competing from his school. His wins in the 200 individual medley and the 500 freestyle broke his own district records with times of 1:51.68 and 4:33.71.

Alex Iannone was the lone gold medalist for Scranton Prep, winning the 100 backstroke. His brother, Lukas Iannone, took third in the same event, adding to Prep’s third-place finish.

Scranton Prep finished third with 146½ points, followed by: Wyoming Seminary 141, Lake-Lehman 116, Elk Lake 109, Holy Redeemer 93, Dunmore 57½, Wallenpaupack 56, Berwick 47, MMI 32, Western Wayne 23, Pittston Area 14, Wyoming Area 13 and Mid Valley 1.

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