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Newsome being tested early

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By KATHERINE SMITH

ksmith@tampatrib.com

Published: September 9, 2009

TAMPA - Swimming season kicked off last week, providing a glimpse of future district showdowns.

Newsome is finding out early if its boys and girls teams are capable of dominating again this season after a regular-season opener against Wharton and with Plant on tap for Thursday.

"We opened with Wharton and then we've got Plant this week," Newsome coach Chau Clark said. "We start out strong."

The Wolves' boys and girls victories against Class 3A-District 4 opponent Wharton last Thursday certainly set a tone. The boys dominated with a 107-62 victory, while the girls won 97-73.

Though the Newsome boys lost All-America swimmer Jason Taylor to graduation, they return strong distance swimmer Jacob Bukaweski, Hayden Parker and Tim Foster. They also will get help from a strong sophomore relay swimmer, John Simpson. The girls are led by Kati Kyle, Kylie Piche, Brett Yonkee and sophomore sprinter Megan Sinning.

Competing in Class 2A-District 8 this season, Academy of the Holy Names/Jesuit and Sickles faced off last week. Before the meet, Academy coach Bill Shaffer was not sure if his team could take Sickles in a six-lane meet, but it did. Despite the Gryphons finishing first in nine of the 12 events, the Jaguars showed off their depth with a 97-88 victory.

It wasn't as close for Shaffer's Jesuit team, who easily handled Sickles, 124-59. The Tigers won all three relays and got double victories by Chris Swanson in the 200 free and 100 breaststroke and Dylan Attal in the 200 individual medley and 100 fly.

CITY RELAYS: Newsome hosts the 36th annual City Relays on Saturday at the Bobby Hicks Pool in Tampa. Plant hosted the event in the past, but since it will be hosting the Western Conference Championships on Oct. 17, Newsome stepped up.

Sickles swept the boys and girls titles last year. The Gryphons boys team launched a successful season with its strong finish at the relays.

The Gryphons ran the table in the regular season, going undefeated and finishing fifth at the FHSAA Swimming and Diving Championships. The Sickles boys team lost some of its top swimmers to graduation, but still have two members of its 2008 state second-place 200 free and third place 400 free relay teams, Andrew Howard and Trey Went III. Plant, Jesuit and Wharton will be aiming to take the top prize this year.

The Sickles girls have some of the strongest relay teams in the county and will face a big challenge from Newsome; Plant, with Rebecca Werdine, Haley Hahmann and Hillary Hahmann; and Wharton, with Danielle Albright and Blair Kuethe. Despite losing a close meet to Academy, the Gryphons finished first in the 200 individual medley relay event, with Kelli Swanson, Cristina Decisneros, Katie Cook and Katie Westbrook, and in the 400 free, with Swanson, Cook, Westbrook and Katie Sienkiewicz.

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

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