Tunkhannock’s Blayne Roosa competes in the Les Richards Diving Championship at Scranton High School in Scranton Friday, February 13, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Ryan Horutz and Micah White are the two best divers in District 2.
The Abington Heights teammates proved that again Friday night at the Les Richards Diving Championships at Scranton High School with an intense competition that came right down to a dramatic finish.
Horutz rallied for a win, scoring all three of his final dives at 50 or better for a final point total of 479.25. It was just enough to edge White, who led through the first 11 dives and finished with a score of 478.20.
While the Abington Heights divers dominated the boys competition, Tunkhannock’s Sophia Sobeck was the most consistent diver in the girls event. She scored 320.20 for her 11 attempts to capture the gold medal.
West Scranton’s Elle Brewster was second (262.85) and teammate Lorenny Almonte was third (223.25). The top three finishers were the only ones to complete all 11 dives successfully.
“I was really, really happy,” Sobeck said. “Especially because I just learned two new dives, like two days ago, that I just competed today. I was really proud of myself for not failing or getting unsatisfactory on either of them.”
Sobeck led the entire girls competition.
After the first five dives, she had 144.2 points, with her best attempt, a forward 1.5 somersault pike, receiving a 31.45 from the judges. She extended the lead with two dives, scoring better than 30 in the semifinals.
Brewster started to close the gap with 32.3 to start the finals, but Sobeck responded with her best score of the night. She executed a forward two-somersault tuck with a 2.2 degree of difficulty for a 36.3 and a total score of 320.2.
Swimming
Tunkhannock’s boys etched their names big-time into the Les Richards record books.
Tunkhannock’s Jaden Baltrusaitis won the 100 free in 46.86, finishing ahead of his teammate Kyle Kozloski. His winning time broke a long-standing meet and pool record of 47.06 set in 2009 by former PIAA Class 3A champion Jamie Grennan.
Baltrusaitis also won the 50 sprint in a photo finish with a time of 21.51. Abington Heights’ Derek Williams was second in 21.52.
Tunkhannock also won the 200 free relay and the 400 free relay in meet and pool records. Baltrusaitis was a member of both teams. He joined Kozloski, Chase Newhart and Aidan Mislevy on the 200 free relay (1:27.64), and Logan Teaman, Brayden Christopher and Kozloski in the 400 free relay (3:16.25).
“It is just about being repetitive in practice,” Baltrusaits said. “I just go as fast as I can all the time. The last couple of weeks, I have been dropping times. This was the big breakout that people have maybe once in their lives. It is such a cool moment.”
In the girl’s event, Elk Lake’s Brynn Warrine won the 50 free for the second time in her career. She also won gold in the sprint in 2024 and won the 100 free last season.
Tunkhannock’s Kaitlyn Keown won the 100 back (1:01.16).
2026 Les Richards Championships
BOYS
200 Medley Relay: 1. TUN (Aidan Mislevy, Noah Salters, Braydon Christopher, Chase Newhart) 1:41.78; 2. SP 1:44.01; 3. HAZ 1:48.72. 200 Free: 1. Jason Casper (AH) 1:45.19; 2. Leo Cholish (HC) 1:50.6; 3. Ben Kessler (SP) 1:50.7. 200 IM: 1. Lukas Iannone (SP) 1:57.42 (MEET RECORD); 2. Roy Ayala (WS) 1:58.24; 3. Geoff Stanton (AH) 2:04.93. 50 Free: 1. Jaden Baltrusaitis (TUN) 21.51; 2. Derek Williams (AH) 21.52; 3. Kyle Kozloski (TUN) 21.6. Diving: 1. Ryan Horutz (AH) 479.25; 2. Micah White (AH) 478.2; 3. Blayne Roosa (TUN) 373.85. 100 Fly: 1. Jason Casper (AH) 51.81; 2. Braydon Christopher (TUN) 57.47; 3. Andrew Morris (LL) 58.76. 100 Free: 1. Jaden Baltrusaitis (TUN) 46.86 (MEET & POOL RECORD); 2. Kyle Kozloski (TUN) 47.99; 3. Simon Madore (HC) 50.11. 500 Free: 1. Connor Runquist (LL) 5:01.21; 2. Leo Cholish (HC) 5:04.36; 3. Braydon Christopher (TUN) 5:18.35. 200 Free Relay: 1. TUN (Kyle Kozloski, Chase Newhart, Aidan Mislevy, Jaden Baltrusaitis) 1:27.64 (MEET & POOL RECORD); 2. AH 1:27.65; 3. LL 1:34.59. 100 Back: 1. Lukas Iannone (SP) 52.6 (MEET & POOL RECORD); 2. Ben Kessler (SP) 55.64; 3. Geoff Stanton (AH) 55.95. 100 Breast: 1. Roy Ayala (WS) 58.76 (MEET & POOL RECORD); 2. Derek Williams (AH) 1:01.71; 3. Adrian Azar (AH) 1:04.23. 400 Free Relay: 1. TUN (Jaden Baltrusaitis, Logan Teaman, Braydon Christopher, Kyle Kozloski) 3:16.25 (MEET & POOL RECORD); 2. AH 3:18.16; 3. LL 3:26.39.
GIRLS
200 Medley Relay: 1. SP (Myla Kopa, Eva Kaszuba, Sophia Galko, Anna Millett) 1:56.47; 2. HAZ 2:01.95; 3. LL 2:02.34. 200 Free: 1. Lia Ochs (HAZ) 1:59.55; 2. Gianna Vachino (AH) 2:08.28; 3. Kacey Johnson (AH) 2:12.85. 200 IM: 1. Ella Schofield (SP) 2:15.5; 2. Hannah Kuhar (LL) 2:27.38; 3. Anna Millett (SP) 2:28.8. 50 Free: 1. Brynn Warriner (EL) 24.92; 2. Hadley Pallman (AH) 25.29; 3. Sophia Galko (SP) 25.64. Diving: 1. Sophia Sobeck (TUN) 320.2; 2. Elle Brewster (WS) 262.85; 3. Lorenny Almonte-Martinez (WS) 223.25. 100 Fly: 1. Rebecca Oakes (SP) 56.79 (MEET RECORD); 2. Kaitlyn Keown (TUN) 1:03.45; 3. Lorelai Lucas (HAZ) 1:04.23. 100 Free: 1. Rebecca Oakes (SP) 52.99; 2. Brynn Warriner (EL) 54.42;3. Gianna Vachino (AH) 57.08. 500 Free: 1, Hadley Pallman (AH) 5:18.04 (MEET RECORD); 2. Lia Ochs (HAZ) 5:23.67; 3. Alexandra Johnson (NP) 5:42. 200 Free Relay: 1. SP (Eva Kaszuba, Sophia Galko, Ella Schofield, Rebecca Oakes) 1:39.67; 2. AH 1:44.36; 3. EL 1:47.61. 100 Back: 1. Kaitlyn Keown (TUN) 1:01.16; 2. Chelsea Grosvenor (EL) 1:04.89; 3. Sophia Galko (SP) 1:04.92. 100 Breast: 1. Eva Kaszuba (SP) 1:04.81; 2. Ella Schofield (SP) 1:06.36; 3. Ava Kochmer (HC) 1:14.85. 400 Free Relay: 1. SP (Ella Schofield, Myla Kopa, Anna Millett, Rebecca Oakes) 3:46.32; 2. AH 3:48.55; 3. HAZ 3:58.11.