There is an abundance of talent ready to dive into the pool for the Lackawanna League season.

Elk Lake girls are the defending champions after breaking Scranton Prep’s 73-meet league winning streak. Scranton Prep, however, is the favorite to reclaim the girls’ title. Abington Heights, last season’s District 2 Class 3A team champion, is expected to challenge the Classics.

Abington Heights is the slight favorite to dethrone Delaware Valley in the Lackawanna League race.

Both Times-Tribune Swimmers of the Year headline a group of returning All-Region athletes who should make for an intense winter competition.

Scranton Prep’s Rebecca Oakles was the girls’ top swimmer, and Abington Heights’ Jason Casper earned the boys’ award.

Oakes, a junior, won a seventh-place medal in the 100-yard butterfly and finished 10th in the 100 freestyle at the PIAA Class 2A Championships. She captured gold medals in the 100 butterfly and the 100 freestyle (53.93) at the District 2 Class 2A Championships.

Casper, a senior, won a gold medal in the 200 freestyle and a silver in the 100 fly at the District 2-4 Class 3A Subregional Championships.

He is not the only former Swimmer of the Year in the Lackawanna League. Scranton Prep’s Lukas Iannone won that title in 2024, and he signed a National Letter of Intent to continue his career at The College of the Holy Cross.

Girls

Scranton Prep and Abington Heights have outstanding swimmers returning this season that will undoubtedly stoke the intensity of this rivalry.

In addition to Oakes, Scranton Prep will be led by senior Sophia Galko and juniors Eva Kaszuba and Ella Schofield, who were All-Region selections last season.

Galko won silver medals in the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke at the District 2 Class 2A Championships.

Kaszuba won an eighth-place medal in the 100 breaststroke at the PIAA Class 2A Championships. She earned a gold medal in the 100 breaststroke and a bronze medal in the 50 free at the District 2 Class 2A Championships and has an NCAA Division I scholarship offer to St. Bonaventure.

Schofield won a silver medal in the 100 breaststroke at the District 2 Class 2A championships.

Abington Heights has three All-Region athletes returning to the lineup.

Hadley Pallman had a strong debut season in 2024-25. She returns after winning a gold medal in the 200 freestyle and a silver in the 500 freestyle at the District 2-4 Class 3A Subregional Championships.

Three-time All-Region selection Gianna Vachino won a gold medal in the 100 freestyle and a silver in the 100 butterfly at the District 2-4 Class 3A Championships.

Katie Giermanski also had a stellar freshman season. She won a gold medal in the 50 freestyle and a silver in the 100 freestyle for the Lady Comets.

Brynn Warriner led Elk Lake to last season’s league title and an undefeated season. She won a gold medal in the 50 free and a silver in the 100 free at the District 2 Class 2A Championships.

Boys

Abington Heights will try to counter Delaware Valley’s usual depth of talent with medal-winning individuals.

In addition to Casper, Derek Williams and diver Micah White are returning All-Region selections. Geoff Stanton, a former All-Region selection, returns to competition, and Ryan Horutz is one of the top divers in the Lackawanna League.

Williams, a three-time All-Region selection, won a gold medal in the 50 freestyle and a silver in the 100 free at the District 2-4 Class 3A Subregional Championships.

White was part of a dominant group of divers for Abington Heights. He finished 20th at the PIAA Class 3A Championships and won the gold medal at the District 2-4 Class 3A Subregional Championships.

Horutz finished second at the Les Richards Championships and 16th at the PIAA Class 3A Championships after qualifying as the District 2-4 runner-up to White.

Stanton was an All-Region swimmer as a freshman in 2023 when he won a silver medal in the 100 backstroke and a bronze in the 200 IM at the District 2-4 Championships.

Delaware Valley won the District 2 Class 3A championship.

Ryan O’Connell earned All-Region honors and won a bronze medal in the 100 free and a fourth-place medal in the 200 IM at the District 2-4 Class 3A Championships.

Scranton Prep returns Iannone and Ben Kessler.

Last season, Iannone reached the medal stand and won a bronze in the 200 IM at the PIAA Class 2A Championships. He also won gold in the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke at the District 2 Class 2A championships.

Kessler finished ninth in the 200 free and 13th in the 100 back at the PIAA Class 2A Championships. He won gold in both events at the District 2 meet.

West Scranton’s Roy Ayala, a silver-medal winner in the 200 IM and the 100 breast at the District 2-4 Class 3A Subregional Championships, and Holy Cross’ Leo Cholish and Simon Madore are returning All-Region selections.

Meets to watch

• Dec. 9, defending girls champ Elk Lake at Delaware Valley in a key early season meet.

• Dec. 16, annual city rivalry when Scranton is at West Scranton.

• Jan. 7, Scranton Prep will host Elk Lake at the University of Scranton. Last season, Elk Lake snapped the Classics’ 73-meet win streak.

• Jan. 29, rivals Abington Heights and Scranton Prep meet at the University of Scranton.

• Feb. 12, league season concludes when Scranton Prep swims against Delaware Valley.

• There are two invitational meets in January. The Elk Lake Invitational is Jan. 2. The Ernie Shartle invitational at Tunkhannock is Jan. 17.

• The Les Richards Championships will be split over two weekends. The diving competition is set for Feb. 7 while swimming races are Feb. 14. Both events are at Scranton High School.