West Mifflin’s Lynch recovers from injury to join WPIAL’s top freestyle swimmers
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Thursday, January 17, 2019 | 4:57 PM
After missing last season with a shoulder injury, West Mifflin swimmer Ashley Lynch has come back with a vengeance.
Lynch, a senior, ranked second in WPIAL Class AA in the girls 200-yard freestyle (1 minute, 59.73 seconds) as of Wednesday. She led earlier (2:01.34).
She is among the top 10 in the 100 freestyle (56.85), 500 freestyle (5:35.31) and 50 freestyle (26.27) and the top 15 in the 100 butterfly (1:04.39).
Lynch said it took a toll sitting out.
She said she wants to improve and have fun.
West Mifflin coach Steve Larkin said Lynch trained diligently before the season and that she is the hardest worker in the pool.
“We are very aware of the competition,” Larkin said. “Our focus is on her personal-best times and goals.”
Lynch, who is 5-foot-6, qualified for the WPIAL and PIAA championships as a freshman and sophomore.
She will continue her career with John Carroll.
The Blue Streaks, the two-time defending Ohio Athletic Conference champions who are based near Cleveland, tied for 45th place in the NCAA Division III championship last season. They are 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the conference this season.
Larkin believes Lynch, who plans to major in cell and molecular biology, will do well in the classroom and the pool.
“She is a goal setter and will give you everything she has in every practice,” Larkin said.
Karen Kadilak is a freelance writer.
Tags: West Mifflin
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