Swimmers from independent programs adapt. They have to.

They make time and find places to practice, people to train with.Two independent schools from the Times News area - Marian Catholic and Northern Lehigh - were represented at last week's PIAA Swimming Championships.Four of Marian's five swimmers - sophomore Danny Berlitz, along with seniors Timmy Dando, Katie Kurzinsky and Angelina Krupko - made the trip to Bucknell University's Kinney Natatorium for the Class 2A event, while Wyatt Delans represented the Bulldogs at the state meet for the second consecutive year.No pool? No problem."You don't need a pool at your school to be great," said Kurzinsky, a three-time state qualifier. "That's definitely one of the things I want kids who are considering going to Marian, or another school that doesn't have a pool, to know, is that you don't need a pool. If you've got the heart, the dedication, the motivation, you can do it."Krupko echoed that sentiment."It's really cool because we are independent. We have very few kids, and we have great swimmers coming up within the next few years," said Krupko, who was competing in her first state meet. "We have Alison (Anilosky, a freshman), we have Danny (Berlitz). I'm sure we'll have more swimmers. I hope we'll have more swimmers."It's a really great thing to have at our school, even though we don't have a pool. Just to be able to come to these big meets and show what we're made of."That means finding time - and a place - to train.For Delans and Berlitz, that has been the Parkland Area Aquatic Club, while Dando, Kurzinsky and Krupko spend a significant amount of time at the Hazleton YMCA."It's really not just me. It's swimming with everyone else," Delans said. "Everyone who swims with me all year round. I swim with PAAC (Parkland Aquatic Club) everyday. We're all one giant family. They're the ones who push me everyday to get better. I owe it all to them."The PAAC was also where former Northwestern standout and three-time Times News Swimmer of the Year Trey Shackleton honed his craft. Northwestern also did not have a team or a pool.Like they did for Shackleton, a three-time state qualifier, those long days have paid dividends for Marian, which has seen a steady rise in state qualifiers the past three years and saw Berlitz capture a gold medal in the 500-freestyle this past Friday."It means so much," said Dando. "I work all year to get here and just to be able to do well here. It's nice to see all the hard work paying off at the end of the year."I had Katie here with me two years ago, Danny and Katie last year. It's great that they all made it. And I'm really happy that Angelina made it this year."While guidance has come from a variety of places, Tamaqua head coach Al Bostdorff has been instrumental in helping many of the swimmers throughout their careers, something that came full circle for Dando last week."It's been a great four years. Kind of sad it's over. But it happens," said Dando. "I just want to thank my coach at the (Hazleton) YMCA, Rob Gould, and Al Bostdorff, at Tamaqua. He's helped me. He helped me when he was at the Y(MCA) for a little bit. And he'll still give me some pointers from time to time."Tamaqua's Rebecca Kanaskie closed out a stellar career with her third straight trip to the state meet last week.Though Tamaqua has a team - and a pool - Kanaskie, was the only Blue Raider to make it to the state meet.But she wasn't alone.With Krupko and Kanaskie competing in the same heat in the 100-breaststroke Friday, it offered a moment of camaraderie for two swimmers who were able to come together in the final race of their high school careers."To be here. Nobody else from my school made it here," Kanaskie said. "So it kind of feels like we're all one big independent in this sector. It was fun."END OF AN ERA … For Kanaskie, who eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau earlier this season, the state meet served as a chance for her to leave a lasting legacy on Tamaqua swimming. "For my team, I would like them to remember me as a good captain. I've been captain since my sophomore year," she said. "So it's been big shoes to fill. But if there's anything, I hope I've passed on some knowledge, some hope for them for the future."And because the Kanaskie legacy is now gone - my sister's (Caroline) out, I'm out - I feel like we just wanted as many names as possible on the record board, and I feel like we got a good number. I hope people look up to us. I hope we're inspirations. I could not have done anything else."PART II ... Winter Storm Stella moved the diving portion of the PIAA Championships to Saturday, March 25, and Sunday, March 26, at Bucknell University's Kinney Natatorium. The Class 2A event is scheduled for Saturday, March 25. The 3A competition is set for Sunday, March 26.