By Brian Weaver
The last notebook of the regular season finds that CB West is “back,” Upper Merion is thinking big in AA, and Pennridge gives the springboard a workout.
CB WEST
THREE’S A CROWD: Renaissance man Antonio Dovali should leave his mark in the 500, but head coach Rich Reshetar likes him in a lot of races going into the Suburban One Continental Conference league meet.
“He can really swim any type of freestyle and the 100 butterfly,” he said. “Antonio’s going to have a very tough league matchup with everyone in the conference. Sean Cook will have some good competition in backstroke. We’re looking at great competition in free. Matt Pyrz is really looking to get one more big race in before the 100 free.”
Dovali, Pyrz, and Cook have all qualified for districts, primarily on the back of their natural ability, though Reshetar acknowledges their hard work. And while Reshetar likes his squad’s chances of doing well in individual events and putting up points, he acknowledges that North Penn, Souderton, and CB East are going to push everybody else in the conference.
“We are small fish in a big pond having North Penn and Souderton. It’s a lot of talent,” Reshetar said. “The kids really swam well. We have a couple already qualified for districts, and a couple really close."
“I think our backstroke will probably be the best even for us at this point. I have four boys that are just off the backstroke cut,” he said.
The three above might also find a D’Artangan to their musketeers status as the Bucks are looking to get a diver in.
“Dylan Garges, a junior diver, is extremely close to districts, only about 13 points off, and he’s working hard every day at practice. He’s really close, and I hope he gets it. He’s really improving his dives.”
THE DEEP END: On the girls’ side, coach Vibeke Swanson sees a lot of potential in the post-season after a solid year.
“I think that this year our depth really helped us,” she said. “When you have four backstrokers that have either qualified for districts or are within tenths or hundredths, you’ve got a good chance.”
Besides the backstroke, the Bucks have found strength in their 100 free swimmers. Of note is Christine Proudy, whose 50s are getting better as she chopped four seconds from her 100 free time last year to get her time down to the 1:00 range).
Colleen MacMillan and Ali Roth are Swanson’s two strongest.
“Colleen at some of the meets has been not only a leader in the pool but has had some motivating speeches. She’s a big factor in getting the kids all psyched up,” the coach explained. “Ali does her talking in the pool. She’s always been a strong IM’er but her 200 free came along last year and this year her fly’s coming along and her 50 free’s excellent.”
“We’re two deep in each relay. We’ve never had such strong second relays. At the CB South meet, our second relay took second. What we look for at this point is tapering well. Get those last kids who are close to qualifying to qualify. Want kids to have the best meet of the season, if not their life. ”
MOVING ON: Roth and MacMillan have cuts in several events. Stoehr has her district times in the 200 IM and 500 free, and she’s close in the 200 free and back. Abby Mowen and Erica Peters are also in for backstroke, while Sara Stoudamire and Molly Fitz are two tenths away.
“[Districts] is an exciting time. The excitement of the district meet is so much. Those that have been there to watch it know it’s just a fun meet, one of the most exciting meets around,” Swanson said. “That itself can keep the girls focused. We also have pasta dinners, new suits – little things surrounding that makes a big event.”
Newcomer Andie Blaser has posted solid 50 and 100 free times just short of districts, while her fly and IM times continue to improve.
UPPER MERION
AA BATTERY: “The girls did very well this year, our best record since [coach] Jeff [Bugenhagen] or I have been coaching, 10-2,” coach Corey Besz said.
He attributes a lot of the success to a sharp freshman class, but acknowledges that there is a lot more to the team’s winning percentage.
“Our numbers are up for boys and girls, eight seniors this year, which’ll probably hurt us for next year, but the continuity and the chemistry has been great,” he said. “Usually by this time of year they’re nitpicking, but even when we tell them that practice is over, they’re still in the pool.”
Upper Merion, which swims in the AA classification, stacks up very well against the contenders at the final meets in the season, with regular-season losses only to Class AAA Upper Dublin and Wissahickon. That success leads Besz to think big for leagues and even districts.
The team will take a fair number of swimmers to LaSalle for the district meet, including Ann Willcox in the distance freestyles. As the second seed in the league race for the 500 free, she carries a good chance at making states. Besz hopes that the 200 and 400 free relays can join her there.
“Taylor Mateja is a freshman seeded well in 100 backstroke. Rachel Karen is top breaststroker seeded pretty well,” Besz said. “And James O’Toole is swimming the 200 free and 100 butterfly swimming faster than he did last year. Our 200 and 400 relays on the boys’ side are looking to place fairly high at the district level.”
PENNRIDGE
FULLY LOADED: On the girls’ side, the relays are especially strong. The 200 free relay squad of Alicia Detweiler, Gabby Rinaldi, Erica Redmond, and Megan Hahn set a school record in that event.
“This is the fastest group of four girls I’ve had in my three years here,” coach Ryan Griffiths said.
Hahn has her districts cuts in the 50 and 500 freestyles and has a legitimate shot at the 200 at leagues. The sophomore is on the verge of the school record in the 500. The boys have difference-makers in R.J. Phiambolis in the distance frees. He qualified for districts in the 200 and 500. Kyle VanLeer also made the cut in the 100 butterfly.
“They have very comparable times that we’ve seen in our league meets so far,” Griffiths said.
The league meets have been very telling for the Rams as the realignment left them with a conference full of talent.
“It gives our kids in a growing program a chance to see the top notch competition week in and week out when you’re going up against the Continental Conference,” he said. “Our kids have to be at their best every week to succeed and improve. Every heat is going to be competitive. I think with our taper process we’re going to rise to the challenge.”
BETTER GET A BUS: “We have a combination of close to 20 kids that we could send to the district meet, which is the biggest class we’ve had in quite a while,” Griffiths said. “Some of our diving scores are the highest we’ve seen. A lot of that is Adam Vance, our coach who was a Pennridge grad and state diving champ in 1997. We had the highest turnout for diving we’ve ever had, and we have the possibility of four to step up and make it to districts.”
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