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Swimming: Attal helps Jesuit to title

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By KATHERINE SMITH

ksmith@tampatrib.com

Published: November 7, 2009

ST. PETERSBURG - Two points snapped Jesuit's four-year regional title run last year. And those points motivated the Tigers to win the title this season.

Jesuit, which lost to Bishop Verot in the 1A-Region 3 meet last year, claimed the 2A-Region 3 title Friday night at the North Shore Pool. The Tigers were aided by an individual victory from Dylan Attal in the 100 butterfly and by 200 and 400 free relay wins.

"Jesuit's always been known for being a total team," Coach Bill Shaffer said. "The school's credo is 'Men For Others,' and they really come through for each other."

In the girls competition, Lakewood Ranch pulled ahead of the Academy of the Holy Names in the final two events to win the title. The Jaguars were second.

The Sickles girls were in the early mix for the team title. The Gryphons, who finished fourth overall, won three of the first four events - the 200 medley relay, the 200 and the 50 free. Senior Katie Westbrook was first in the 200 free (1:52.51) and swam a leg of the winning 200 medley (1:52.46) and 200 free (1:40.66) relays. Westbrook was also second in the 500 free (5:04.41).

Gryphons junior Katie Cook beat Academy of the Holy Names senior Molly Sheridan by 52 hundredths of a second for the 50 free title. Sheridan beat Cook at districts last week, and that didn't sit well with the Sickles junior.

"It pushed me a lot," said Cook, who was also second in the 100 free with a personal-best 51.81 followed by Sheridan (54.48). "It was my goal all week to beat her."

Sickles senior Trey Went III was the fastest swimmer in the pool Friday night, winning the 50 free (21.90) and the 100 free (48.68). Like Cook, Went was motivated by a second-place finish behind Jesuit sophomore Chris Swanson in the 100 free at districts last week.

"I had to get payback," said Went of beating Swanson, who finished fourth in 50.15. "The prelims in the morning really got me psyched."

Swanson was edged out by Lakewood Ranch's John Silvers by 12 hundredths of a second in the 200 free.

Attal led a 1-2-3 Hillsborough County finish in the 100 fly. Attal was first (54.55) followed by Sickles junior Andrew Howard (54.95) and Hillsborough junior David De Sena (55.07). Howard won the 100 backstroke with a time of 55.90, while Jamie Perez of Hillsborough was second in 56.76.

3A-REGION 2 DIVING: Bloomingdale's Nick Wing-Holt and Plant's Alex Hagen won their second consecutive diving titles Friday at Clearwater High. Both advance to Friday's FHSAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Orlando.

Wing-Holt won the boys competition with a score of 465.05. Bloomingdale's Mitch Nelson was fourth (368.00). Hagen won the girls event with a score of 421.05. Newsome's Brittany Mathers was third (395.60).

Reporter Katherine Smith can be reached at (813) 259-7860.

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