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Wolves Set For Region Affair

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By MATTHEW POSTINS, Tribune correspondent

Published: October 25, 2007

Just five years ago, Newsome girls swimming coach Joanne Grogan said the program had only 23 swimmers.

This year, it would be a surprise if Newsome didn't take at least that many to the state meet in Orlando next week.

Newsome enters Saturday's Class 2A-Region 3 meet at North Shore Pool in St. Petersburg with a cavalcade of swimmers, most of whom are capable of reaching the state meet.

Last year, 10 Newsome swimmers went to state. Grogan believes that number will swell this year.

'We're hoping to take 15 boys and 10 girls to state this year,' Grogan said. 'We've had the kids set in that mind-set all season - going to state and winning.'

Region is the next step, and Newsome set itself up nicely after dominating the 2A-District 7 meet at Sebring last week. Newsome's girls won 10 of 12 events, while Newsome's boys won nine of 12. Combined, the boys and girls enter region with top three seeds in 15 events.
Grogan said the program's growth is due to a combination of factors, including the fast-growing Lithia area, where NHS is located; fortunate move-in additions like sisters Kelli and Kati Kyle; word of mouth (the program had to cut swimmers for the first time this fall); and its ties to the Blue Wave club team.

At least one-third of the team swims for Blue Wave, meaning many of them swim six hours a day, six days a week. Most of the swimmers' core friendships are on the team.

'The team was close last year,' senior Kelli Kyle said, who moved here from Rockville, Md., last year. 'I knew everyone, but certainly not as well as this year. This year we've had 'Get to know freshmen' nights and things like that. We're a tighter group.'

Kyle finished second in the 100 backstroke last year at state. She's seeded No. 2 at region behind Northeast's Meg Romano.
Jason Taylor came in second in the boys 200 IM last year. He isn't swimming that event at region this year, but he's a part of Newsome's top-seeded 200 medley relay team, which has swam together for three years. Taylor, Justin Waterman, Jason Waterman and Aleks Ans finished third at state a year ago.

They all agreed that their sweep of City Relays marked Newsome's coming-out party of sorts.

'It showed people in the county that we're here and that we're not messing around,' Ans said. 'One of our big goals was to win City Relays this year.'

The Wolves would love to claim a state team title. Grogan thinks it's possible if all three boys relays can reach the state meet.

But with Kelli Kyle, the Watermans and Ans graduating in the spring, they know the clock is ticking. And winning region - the boys won last year and the girls finished fourth - would provide a great steppingstone to Orlando.

'Even in the newspapers before City Relays, we weren't named as a contender,' Ans said. 'If we won state, that would be great. But we can't get ahead of ourselves.'

Regional qualifiers, Page 11

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