Girls swimming outlook: Previewing this weekend's sectional meet
Published: November 10, 2009, 12:22 am
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The Section VI Swimming and Diving Championships are Friday and Saturday at the Burt Flickinger Aquatic Center on the Erie Community College downtown campus.
This weekend's winners, along with those who hit state times during the season, qualify for the Nov. 19-21 meet at Webster Schroeder of Section V.
An estimated 400 girls are expected to compete for titles in the 12 events.
The diving champion will be crowned Friday as all 11 dives will be contested. The swimming event prelims start at Friday at 4 p.m. Saturday's swimming event finals begin at 11 a.m.
Admission is $4 on both days.
Defending champions
There are seven returning defending sectional champions among the nine individual races.
Not only did Marissa Dressel of Kenmore West win the 100- and 200-yard freestyles at sectionals, she also went on to double at states. She's back in both events this year.
Victoria Jacumski of Clarence, winner of the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke, will defend her title in the breast. She comes into sectionals with a season-best 1:06.46.
Instead of the IM, she'll do the 100 butterfly. Jacumski will take on the defending champion in the fly, junior Lauren Caldwell of Jamestown. "I just thought I'd try something new this year," said Jacumski. "I swam it at ECICs and had one of my best times. I thought I could improve."
Senior Maddy Schultz of Southwestern is back in the 50 free. Senior Paige Gutowski of Sweet Home returns in the 100 back.
Kenmore West is the defending champion in the 200 and 400 free relays while Olean won the 200 medley relay.
Frontier relays message
Frontier qualified all three relays for states for the first time in its program's history, breaking school records in all three. Junior Rachel Heferle, freshman Hannah Graesser, senior Charlene Lichota and senior Karen Meess swim on all three. Their 3:44.25 in the 400 free relay broke the school mark that had stood since 1999. Their record in the 200 free relay is 1:42.77 and their 200 medley relay mark is 1:53.97.
"They all get along, and are all pretty good at training," said coach Lauren Rowell. "They're all good friends in and out of the water, and are good at motivating each other. They get each other pretty pumped up behind the blocks and are pretty excited to swim."
Rowell knows something about fast swims. Before graduating from Frontier in 2000, she won the Section VI title in the backstroke three times and in the 200 IM twice. Her name was also in the record book for all three relays before this year's foursome came along.
"I'm fine with it. Records are meant to be broken. They always have been," Rowell added. "We knew with Hannah coming in as a freshman she'd give us that fourth to get those times."
Around the pools
Two Clarence eighth graders, Dina Rommell and Rebecca Anthone, will swim the 50 and the 100 at sectionals. They already have state cut times in both events. Look for them to finish among the top five in the 100 and the top three in the 50. The Red Devils have already qualified all their relays for states.
Jamestown is sending 11 swimmers to sectionals, led by senior Jennifer Bentley and Caldwell. Both finished the dual meet season undefeated in any event that they swam.
Bentley and Caldwell are both four-time state meet participants. Bentley will swim the 200- and 500-yard freestyle events, while Caldwell will swimm the 200 IM, along with the 100 fly.
Nardin senior Lauren Marchese has committed to Cornell. Last week Marchese led the Gators to their 10th consecutive Monsignor Martin Association championship while breaking the All-Catholic record in the 100 backstroke.
Maryvale's 400 free relay of senior Joelle Reimers, junior Rose Rustowicz, senior Maddie Lewis and eighth grader Katie Gramlich dropped 5 seconds off their best time at ECICs, swimming a 4:16.99 and just missing the school record of 4:16.78. The team will be going after that record Friday.
Niagara Falls has 15 swimmers faster than 1:01.00 in the 100 free. This allows the Wolverines to utilize different swimmers in the relays as they look to qualifying all three relays again for states. Emily York and Ana Gabriele have qualified for states in the 50 and 100.
North Tonawanda's Andrea Parish, runner-up in the 50 free last year at sectionals, will compete in the 100 free and 100 breast, two events in which she's already qualified for states.
Williamsville North has gotten solid performances and leadership from seniors Cami Farkas, Maggie Schmidt and Abby Zwierzchowski.
"They are all peaking at just the right time and are providing the inspiration and sense of tradition that their 18 years of combined experience as Spartans has fostered," said coach Doug Cassidy. Farkas and Schmidt join sophomores Clare and Kaitlin Battaglia in a return to states.
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