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Blocks Send Meets Elsewhere

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By RICK HARMON

Tribune correspondent

Published: October 25, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - When today's Sunshine Athletic Conference swim meet concludes at the New Port Richey Recreation and Aquatic Center, it will mark the end of meets held in Pasco County this season.

All district and region meets will be held in other counties because there aren't any facilities in the county equipped to host meets in the Florida High School Athletic Association state series.

The FHSAA requires pools with eight lanes and starting blocks to host a postseason meet. Starting blocks is the problem that faces county coaches. Only three facilities in the county have starting blocks that meet FHSAA regulations - Gills YMCA in Trinity, Saint Leo University and the NPR Aquatic Center. Unfortunately, none of those facilities have eight lanes.

So, Class 3A (Mitchell) has to travel to St. Petersburg on Friday for district, 2A (Gulf, Hudson, Land O' Lakes, Ridgewood, River Ridge, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills) will be held at Bob Sierra Family YMCA Aquatic Center in Tampa on Friday, and 1A (Academy at the Lakes, Bishop McLaughlin, Pasco and Wiregrass Ranch) will go to the Laurel Manor Pool in The Villages in Sumter County. For regions, 3A is at Florida Gulf Coast University, 2A is at Indian River Community College in Fort Pierce and 1A is at Jacksonville Bolles School.

In the mid-1990s, a few years after the county built pools in Zephyrhills, Land O' Lakes and Hudson, the FHSAA changed the required water depth to allow starting blocks. The National Federation of State High School Associations swimming rule 2-7-2 states that platforms 30 inches in height above the water surface require 4 feet or more of water to be legal for high school competition. If less than 4 feet but at least 31/2 feet, the swimmers must start from the deck or use an in-water start. If water depth is less than 31/2 feet, the swimmers must use only an in-water start.

But the FHSAA requires 5 feet of water, superseding the national rule. All the county pools have less than 5 feet.

"Not having blocks makes it difficult," said Land O' Lakes coach Barbara Hayes. "We're only getting on blocks this year because we had to switch our meet with Gulf because our pool wasn't available. I'm really pushing the FHSAA to take another look at that decision."

Last year, Land O' Lakes was the host for the district meet, and the meet had to be held at the Clermont National Training Center. The year before it was at Berkeley Prep in Tampa.

"Because there is not a facility in Pasco County, Hernando County or Citrus County that satisfies the state requirement, it was really tough to find a facility for districts," said Zephyrhills coach Shannon Mathews, who is the host for this year's district. "It's back in Hillsborough County this year. We'll still be at a disadvantage because swimmers at other districts will have a warm-up and cool-down lane, which is hugely advantageous to the swimmers."

Coaches were very disappointed when the $14 million New Port Richey Recreation and Aquatic Center opened in 2007 with only six competition lanes. Rumors are a new facility is being considered in Land O' Lakes and every coach in the area hopes it will be the right facility for high school swimming.

KUHL, TILLMAN WIN DIVING: Defending boys Sunshine Athletic Conference diving champ Kody Kuhl of Land O' Lakes held off River Ridge's Jonathan Dedea and nasty weather to win the conference diving title Friday at the NPR Aquatic Center.

Kuhl set a conference and school record with a final score of 402.05 while Dedea was second with 386.35.

In the girls, junior Beth Tillman of Sunlake upset defending conference champ Megan Klebbe of Hudson. Tillman finished with a 346.90 score, Klebbe scored 334.40.

The swimming portion of the conference meet is today at NPR, starting at 9 a.m.

DISTRICT CHANGES: The 2A-5 District 5 diving has been moved from NPR to Hercules Aquatic Center in Zephyrhills. The meet will begin Thursday at 9:30 a.m. The 1A-District 3 diving will be held Monday at 4 p.m. at Bicentennial Park Pool in Crystal River.

Rick Harmon can be reached at tampabaystringer@gmail.com.

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