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Morrison Leads Way For Sunlake

By CRISTINA LEDRA

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 28, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - Normally a first-year program has to endure the struggle of bringing along green athletes without the benefit of leadership.

That is, unless a glorious twist of fate blesses you with an athlete like Pasco Tribune Boys Swimming Athlete of the Year Brad Morrison, as was the case with Sunlake this season.

Last summer, Morrison left the IB program at Land O' Lakes, where he was a standout for his freshman and sophomore years and when the zoning lines were drawn upon the opening of Sunlake, they set him up to be a Seahawk.

It was a heartbreaking loss for Land O' Lakes but a magnificent gain for an upstart program that needed direction.

"We were so excited," said Daniel Merced, who was Sunlake's coach last season. "Once we saw him in the pool, I mean I heard we were getting a good swimmer. Hearing is one thing but once you see him in the water, how hard he could practice, how seriously he took it, the dedication that he had, you know, it was a pleasure working with him."

When the season started, Sunlake had just a handful of swimmers and not many of them were year-round swimmers like Morrison, a junior. Seeing what working that hard would produce, Morrison motivated his teammates, whose numbers increased as the season went on, to become year-round swimmers.

Many times, he served as the example of how to do exercises while still working at an advanced level that would aid his development.

"He was such an inspiration for the whole team," Merced said. "I think he helped drive all of our success because we had a successful season and not just with Brad but I think he was a part of it, just showing what you're capable of doing if you pushed yourself."

And what he was capable of was a berth to the Class 2A state meet in which he came away with a bronze medal in the 100-yard backstroke (53.74) and eighth in the 200 freestyle (1:46.89).

En route to the state meet, he set a Sunshine Athletic Conference record in the 200 freestyle in 1:49.06, breaking the previous mark of 1:52.07 set by Hudson's Joe Hroma in 2002.

He also picked up a district title in 200 back and district and region titles in the 100 back.

"We were very happy," Merced said. "Obviously he thought he could have done a little bit more when it was all said and done but we were ecstatic with the way he finished the year. It was a just a great run all throughout the tournaments. We couldn't be more excited for him."

BOYS SWIMMING FIRST TEAM

Michael Centanni, Gulf

John Van Hall, River Ridge

Brad Morrison, Sunlake

Joseph Geschke, Ridgewood

Stephen Scheid, Land O' Lakes

Derrick Mysels, Land O' Lakes

Curt Hilgenberg, Land O' Lakes

Jonathan Dedea, River Ridge

Andrew Busot, Land O' Lakes

Craig Lawson, Land O' Lakes

Eric Singer, Land O' Lakes