GIRLS SWIMMING: Scranton Prep multi-sport standout Kaszuba selects Mount St. Mary’s

Eva Kaszuba has always pushed herself, taking on any challenge.

In her youth, she competed as a triathlete, played junior football, basketball, and softball, and ran track. As a varsity athlete, the Scranton Prep senior plays soccer in the fall and lacrosse in the spring. In the winter, she plays basketball and swims for the Classics’ championship programs.

All of the sacrifices, the miles driven, and the balancing of school and practice paid off this weekend. Kaszuba committed to continue her swimming career at Mount St. Mary’s, an NCAA Division I program that competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

“I am really excited,” Kaszuba, 18, said. “I know that if little me could see where I am today, I know she would be proud. This is really incredible.

Kaszuba, an all-star in her other sports, has excelled in the pool.

She is a three-time All-Region selection for the Classics. Last season, Kaszuba won a fifth-place medal in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:04.78) at the PIAA Class 2A Championships. At the District 2 Class 2A Championships, she won a gold medal in the 100 breaststroke (1:04.60) and a bronze medal in the 50 freestyle (26.09).

In addition to her individual accomplishments, Kaszuba was a member of the team’s 200 Medley Relay, which won a silver medal, and the 200 Free Relay, which finished sixth at the PIAA Class 2A Championships and won gold medals at the District 2 Class 2A Championships.

Showing her commitment to both sports in the same season, Kaszuba had nine points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals in Scranton Prep’s 52-47 win over Valley View in the District 2 Class 4A championship game at Mohegan Arena.

In March, Kaszuba swam in the morning preliminary races at the PIAA Swimming and Diving Championships at Bucknell University in Lewisburg. She then traveled to Pottsville, where she helped lead the Classics to a win over Susquehanna Township in the PIAA Class 4A quarterfinals.

After returning to Lewisburg, Kaszuba earned her fifth-place medal in the 100 breaststroke.

During the recruiting process, Kaszuba received several scholarship opportunities from NCAA Division I schools before selecting Mount St. Mary’s, a Catholic university in Maryland. Binghamton University, Loyola of Maryland, Canisius, Marist, Duquesne, Niagara, LaSalle, St. Bonaventure, Le Moyne, and Seton Hall offered her.

“I just feel that swimming is the sport that I can compete in the best in college,” said Kaszuba, who plans to study business/finance. “The coaching staff and the team were great. There was such a great environment there. The coaches showed a lot of interest. The academics were a huge part of my decision.

“It took a lot of stress off me. I am just focusing on having fun in my last year with my teammates and friends.”