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Pindral Paces Surprising Bulls

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By CRISTINA LEDRA

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 28, 2008

WESLEY CHAPEL - The Wiregrass Ranch girls were the surprise swim team of the season and at the forefront of that was freshman Rebecca Pindral, the Tribune's Pasco County Girls Swimming Athlete of the Year.

As much of a surprise as the Bulls were to most, they were not to Coach Nicole Bracciale, who said at the beginning of the season that they were probably going to shock some people.

She had seen through the club swimming circuit the crop of freshman girls that were about to enter her program - Pindral, Kaylin Sylvester and Nicholette Clark - and by the end of the season it was Pindral who separated herself from the pack of standouts.

"She did really well, especially for a freshman," Bracciale said. "She's just a really hard worker and dedicated both in our season and in the offseason."

The Bulls were a strong team all season long but pulled their biggest surprise of the season when they won the Sunshine Athletic Conference meet, topping second-place Land O' Lakes by eight points.

Pindral earned two conference titles in the 100 breaststroke in 1:14.42 and the 200 individual medley in 2:23.62, nearly five seconds faster than the second-place finisher.

She also swam the first leg of the 200 freestyle relay that included Sylvester, Clark and junior Fauve Wilson that won the SAC title, and second leg of the 200 medley relay with the same trio of girls that also won an SAC title.

Together they went on to win district titles in the 200 medley relay and 200 free relay and Pindral won an individual title in the 100 breast (1:14) and placed second in the 200 IM.

Pindral and the Wiregrass Girls ran into some struggles at the region meet and had a good showing in spite of the conditions.

Pindral was eighth in the 100 breast, 10th in the 200 IM and the relays placed fourth in the 200 medley and fourth in the 200 free.

"I wanted her to get a little further," Bracciale said. "The region meet was in Panama City and it was so cold up there. They were all freezing. I think it was just too cold."

But Pindral has been hard at work as a year-round swimmer trying to get her times down in hopes of a berth to a state meet next season.

She competed in the Junior Olympics in Orlando in February and swam her top time in the 100 breast in 1:09.63.

"With freshmen I just want them to come in and get used to high school. They're getting used to high school meets, but not just with swimming," Bracciale said. "And she did really well with that adjustment."

GIRLS SWIMMING FIRST TEAM

Nikki Walters, Sunlake

Lindsay Gorgen, Zephyrhills

Caitlen Smaga, Bishop McLaughlin
Nicholette Clark, Wiregrass Ranch
Kaylin Sylvester, Wiregrass Ranch

Rebecca Pindral, Wiregrass Ranch

Megan Klebbe, Hudson
Fauve Wilson, Wiregrass Ranch

Abigail Campbell, Hudson

Tianna Perry, Hudson

Joanie Heise, Hudson

Celeste Degan, Hudson

Coach of the Year: Nicole Bracciale, Wiregrass Ranch

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