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Terriers, Panthers Top Of Class At 2A-8 Swim Meet

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By MATTHEW POSTINS, Tribune correspondent

Published: October 21, 2007

TAMPA - Each Hillsborough High boys swimmer now has an appointment - 24 hours with the district championship trophy.

Hillsborough won the Class 2A-District 8 boys swimming and diving championships on Saturday, easing past Plant with 458 points. The Panthers finished with 393.

To celebrate, Hillsborough coach Tom Paloumpis will allow each of his swimmers to spend a day with the trophy. He did the same when the boys and girls won district titles in 2004.

'I think it's important,' Paloumpis said. 'They work so hard for this. They need to have something to show for it.'

The Plant girls won the team title in dominating fashion, scoring 594 points.

Hillsborough won just two events - William Shimberg's victory in the 200-yard freestyle, and the 400 free relay, the night's final event. Shimberg anchored the winning leg for a time of 3:39.21. Shimberg, Daniel Snook, David DeSena and Louis Go posted their best time of the season.

'That last relay was big,' Paloumpis said.

There was little drama on the girls' side. Plant won eight of the 12 events, including all three relays. Sprinter Meg Anderson defended her title in the 50 free and 100 free, while Hillary Hahmann swept the distance freestyle events, the 200 and 500. Both were part of the two freestyle relay wins, as well.

Plant got off to a great start by winning the 200 individual medley relay and sweeping the top three places in the 200 freestyle.

'That set the tone for the whole day,' Hahmann said.

Plant coach Gil Gonzalez said his team's depth meant he didn't need to make many strategic decisions, so he just let them swim.

'I don't talk to the girls too much,' Gonzalez said. 'I just tell them go to work and do your job.'

King's Allyson French (100 back), Freedom's Sara Stocks (100 breast), Middleton's Claire Page (diving) and King's Jing Yu (100 fly) broke through Plant's dominance to win their events and earn automatic berths in next week's regional meet.

On the boys' side, two swimmers came up with double victories. Freedom's Cliff Rhodes won the 50 free (23.05) and 100 free (50.56), and Tampa Bay Tech's Enrique Hower won the 500 free (5:03.71) and the 200 IM (2:02.32).

LOL Boys Dominate, Girls Second In 2A-5

CLERMONT - Land O' Lakes coach Barbara Hayes is used to entering the postseason with high expectations, but even this performance had to impress her.

The Gators' boys swim team (501 points) cruised to a Class 2A-District 5 victory with 260 points more than runner-up Lecanto, while the girls finished a close second to Lecanto. Overall, Land O' Lakes emerged from the pool at the National Training Center as the district's top program, taking the unofficial combined team title.

'I think we knew we had a strong chance, especially with the boys being on top again,' Hayes said. 'We had a lot of best times today, but I can't really pick specific swimmers out. It's about teamwork.'

Gators sophomore Stephanie Allen was one of five multiple individual winners, capturing the 200 IM (2 minutes, 27.31 seconds) and 100 breastroke (1:15.63). Junior Eric Singer took the 100 freestyle (51.78 seconds). The Gators had 20 boys qualify for regionals in individual events and swept all three relays.

The other multiple-event district champions were Sunlake's Brad Morrison (200 free, 100 back), Zephyrhills freshman Lindsay Gorgen (100 free, 100 back) Brooksville Central's Mary-Alice McGeehan (50 free, 100 fly) and Springstead's Dan Barry (100 butterfly, 200 IM).

Central's girls finished third, followed by Gulf, Hudson and Zephyrhills. The Bulldogs were fifth in the boys standings, followed by Gulf, Springstead, Central, Hudson and River Ridge.

Bart O'Connell

Shorecrest Boys, Girls Dominate 1A-8 Meet

ST. PETERSBURG - Another day, another sweep of the Class 1A-District 8 swimming and diving championships for Shorecrest Prep.

Thanks to a bevy of talent in each event, the Chargers proved themselves again by winning their third consecutive boys and girls championships Saturday at North Shore Pool. Shorecrest won the boys title with 385 points, 54 more than Sarasota Cardinal Mooney. Northside Christian was third with 307 points. On the girls side, the Chargers dominated again, earning 417 points, 48 better than runner-up Northside Christian, while St. Petersburg Catholic was third with 362.

Shorecrest Prep qualified for an incredible 19 individual events at the regional meet. The feat even surprised Chargers coach Dan McClenathan.

'The kids have been swimming better and better, so I thought we'd do well, but I'm definitely still surprised at just how well we did,' McClenathan said. 'I just think our kids worked hard and performed very well, and we got a few unexpected great efforts, too.'

The coach was referring to a victory by eighth-grader Hannah Stein in the 1-meter dive and a runner-up finish by her brother, Jack, who is in seventh grade.

Chris Errington

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