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Future Worries Seniors

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By KATHERINE SMITH

ksmith@tampatrib.com

Published: October 22, 2008

TAMPA - With the tough stretch of the high school swimming season quickly approaching, East Bay's Tyler Ball is trying to focus on the upcoming district meets.

But it's difficult. Ball has a major distraction, in the form of fretting over what college he's going to swim for, weighing heavily on him.

"All the seniors, we pretty much talk about it every day," Ball said. "At least one of us goes on a trip every weekend and we talk about how it went. It definitely dominates our conversations."

Plant's Meg Anderson and Newsome's Jason Taylor recently pulled the college trigger. Anderson, a three-time state champion, verbally committed to Clemson. Taylor, last year's Class 2A 100 butterfly champion and recent USA Swimming Men's National Junior Team selection, will swim for the University of Florida.

Ball and other top county swimmers, including Tampa Prep's Grace Fredlake, Sickles' Conor Swanson and Jesuit's Vinny Donnelly, are still weighing their options. Fredlake has gotten interest from Duke, FSU, Indiana, Notre Dame and Northwestern, among others. Swanson visited Georgia Tech and also has interest from FSU and Indiana. Donnelly took his first visit earlier in the swim season to FSU, but is also considering Clemson, Indiana and LSU.

Ball recently returned from a visit to the University of South Carolina, where he stayed in the freshman athletic dorms and got to watch a dual meet against North Carolina. He has ruled out Florida, but is still considering FSU and West Virginia.

"It's been very difficult deciding," Ball said. "This is going to be my next four years. It's not just a 30-day thing."

Reporter Katherine Smith can be reached at (813) 731-8025.

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