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Plant, Holy Names win City Relays

Photo by SCOTT PURKS

Plant High squeaked by Newsome at the Bobby Hicks Pool in Tampa.

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By KATHERINE SMITH | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 12, 2009

TAMPA - Newsome's boys swim team left the Bobby Hicks Pool on Thursday night thinking it had lost a dual meet to Plant by one point, only to discover later after recalculating the totals that they had won by a couple of points.

A mere two points separated the two teams again at Saturday's City Relays, this time with Plant emerging victorious with 304 points. Newsome was second with 302, and Jesuit was third with 282.

Academy of the Holy Names won the girls team trophy with 288 points. Plant was second with 278 and Wharton (268) was third.

Despite a constant downpour, swimmers braved the conditions with 19 schools from Hillsborough County participating in the 36th annual event.

After the meet, as is tradition, the winning coach was tossed into the pool by his swimmers.

"This will give our team confidence," Plant coach Gil Gonzalez said. "All year, it's been about stepping it up for Class 3A and the fact that our district has Palm Harbor, the three-time state champs.

"So I told them it's going to be a lot more work this year and a whole new ballgame and they need to rise up to the challenge and they did that today."

Academy also is competing in a new classification (2A) this season, and the event provided a good gauge in determining how it will be able to compete. It was a tight meet between Academy and Plant, and the Panthers didn't help themselves with a disqualification in the 200 medley relay.

The Jaguars pulled away in the last two events, including the final race, the 200 freestyle relay, which they won in 1:49.57.

"I'm very excited because the team's been working hard, but it's a bit of a shock," Academy senior Michelle Wherley said. "I think this is another incentive to make us work harder and try our best and see how well we can do."

Keyword: Prep Sports, for a photo gallery from

Reporter Katherine Smith can be reached at (813) 259-7860. Saturday's City Relays.

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