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Teams ready for districts

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By KATHERINE SMITH

ksmith@tampatrib.com

Published: October 21, 2009

TAMPA - If the Western Conference championship meet was a gauge for next week's district competitions, then several swimmers and teams are primed for big performances.

Plant and Newsome were the overall first- and second-place teams, respectively, in the boys and girls teams standings and will be the teams to beat, but some of their competitors will give them a run.

Hillsborough hosts the Class 2A-District 8 meet Oct. 31 at Berkeley Prep and, based on the boys' National Division victory Saturday, the Terriers should do well.

Junior Jamie Perez led the Terriers with a first-place finish in the 100 backstroke and a third in the 200 freestyle. Other juniors adding points for Hillsborough were David DeSena (second in the 100 butterfly and the 500 free), Louis Go (second in the 100 breast) and Christopher Snook (third in the 100 free).

Hillsborough also won the 200 medley relay and was third in the 200 free relay. If not for a disqualification in the 400 free relay, the Terriers' two-point difference over second-place Wharton, a 3A-4 school, would not have been as close.

It's exactly the kind of boost Hillsborough needs heading into next week's competition, where they will face one of the top teams in the county in Jesuit, which features one of the area's top sprinters, Chris Swanson. The Terriers finished a close second to Plant last year at districts. The Panthers are competing in a new district this season, 3A-5.

Bloomingdale's boys team got a good district preview, finishing third overall in the Western Conference standings, ahead of Hillsborough and behind overall first-place Plant and second-place Newsome. The Bulls got help from D.J. Waite (first in the 100 free and third in the 50 free in the Federal Division), Brian Woodcock (second in the 50 free and third in the 100 free) and Constantine Tedrick (second in the 100 back).

The Bulls finished second to Wharton at last year's district. They'll battle again with the Wildcats and Newsome in the 3A-4 meet at Oct. 30 the New Tampa YMCA.

College planning

A couple of seniors who performed well at the Western Conference meet will be taking college trips. Plant City's Blair Butler has scheduled a visit to Florida Atlantic University this weekend. He also plans to schedule a trip to East Carolina University in January. Butler was first in the Federal Division 200 free and second in the 500 free.

Sickles' Christina DeCisneros, who was first in the American Division 100 fly and fourth in the 200 IM, will visit St. Peters College in New Jersey on Nov. 14. She also has tentatively scheduled a visit to the University of North Florida on Nov. 21. She also is interested in New York's Queens College and California University of Pennsylvania.

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

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