On Jan. 22 in a meet against Elk Lake at Tunkhannock Area, Tunkhannock swimmer Kandis Venn took first place in the 100 butterfly, to break the 1,000 point career mark as a Tiger varsity swimmer and join her brother Stefen Venn, who broke 1,000 in 2009. She also took first in the 100 backstroke and was part of a winning 200 free relay team against the Warriors.

For her accomplishment, Venn has been named the Wyoming County Press Examiner’s Athlete of the Week.

Class, age, hometown…Senior, 18, Centermoreland.

Family…Chuck, father; Teresa, mother; Stefen, 22, brother; Ashley, 20, sister.

Athlete I admire… U.S. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte.

Favorite Movie… “Mean Girls.”

Favorite Food… Pierogies.

One word to describe me… Dedicated.

Three people I’d like to have dinner with… U.S. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, country artist Toby Keith and actor Channing Tatum.

Post-graduation plans… “I am attending East Stroudsburg University to study business management and swim.”

Superstitions or rituals… “I always eat peanut butter before a meet. I feel like it makes me go faster.”

Did you know how close you were to 1,000 points? “When Ben (Spencer) got his 1,000th I asked my coach how close I was, but she acted like I wasn’t close. She wanted to make it a surprise.”

How does it feel to join such an exclusive club at Tunkhannock Area?  “It feels so good to be represented with the most dedicated swimmers at Tunkhannock and to meet my brother’s expectations.”

Who are your biggest role models? “I look up to my whole team. My coach (Larissa Cleary), Ben Spencer and Morgan Manglaviti.”

How does it feel to come out to a 4-2 record in the division after going winless last season? “It is excellent. We have built such a great team. And the freshmen are a huge part of that this season.”

What do you attribute the team’s success to? “Hard work and goals. You need to work hard and have goals or else you’ll be nothing.”

What are your goals for the rest of your senior season? “I’m looking forward to districts where I hope to place the best I can and get our medley relay team and some other girls to the state meet.”

How did you first get interested in swimming? And at what age? “I was in fifth grade. My brother always swam and I would sit in the stands and watch him. I always wanted to swim as fast as he did and live up to what he did at Tunkhannock. He’s helped me out a lot.”