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Hernando Today

Sweeping Sensation

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: October 11, 2008

SPRING HILL - Barrett Sheffield hadn't lost a 100-yard breaststroke race all season heading into Saturday's tri-meet at Hernando County's YMCA of the Suncoast.

Facing his toughest challenge to date, a fellow regional qualifier in Hernando High's Corey Hartsock, the Central High senior made sure to keep his undefeated slate alive.

Sheffield caught and passed Hartsock in the final 50 yards, winning by just a little over a minute, 1:09.52-1:10.94. In a show of good sportsmanship, the two embraced in the water after the race.

"I just had a basketball tournament today. I'm a little tried," Sheffield said. "Me and Corey talked a lot before the meet. We said we were going to push each other. He's got a lot faster. I was a little worried about him to be honest.

"I knew he'd probably be right next to me. I looked over and saw he was a little bit ahead of me and just pushed as hard as I could. I gave it my all."

However, in this three-team event that also featured Springstead, that was not the closest race.

The girls' 100-breast also featured two regional qualifiers, with Angel Healy of the Lady Eagles edging the Lady Bears' Emily Withington, 1:21.31-1:22.34.

The Central girls and Hernando boys each enjoyed sweeps of their respective county opponents, with the Central girls winning 71-23 over Hernando and 62-32 versus Springstead. Hernando's boys won 52-42 against Central and 58-36 over Springstead.

Also, Central's boys collective their first win of the season, beating Springstead, 52-41. Springstead's girls suffered their first losses of the year, but still notched a victory over Hernando, 60-34.

Maintaining county dominance

The Lady Bears proved they are still the class of the county, adding this meet to an earlier triumph over Nature Coast.

"The girls look really strong all the way across the board," Central Head Coach Julie Withington said. "They look good and we hope they continue to work hard and improve before the district meet (Oct. 31), which is what we're focusing on now."

Mary Alice McGeehan won all four of her events, including the 50-yard freestyle (28.83) and 100-yard butterfly (1:11.35).

She also teamed with Shelby Brown, Withington and Stephanie Parsolano to take the 200-yard medley relay (2:14.08) and Withington, Candice Catalano and Parsolano to win the 200-yard freestyle relay (2:05.09).

Withington took the 200-yard IM (2:34.08), while Catalano captured the 100-yard freestyle (1:11.24) and Brown the 100-yard backstroke (1:23.06).

Catalano, Brown, Parsolano and Cortney Sznajder came in first in the 400-yard freestyle relay (4:48.57).

Healy came out on top in both of her individual events, adding a victory in the 500-yard freestyle (6:19.14) to her win in the breaststroke. Christine Brinker did the same in the 200-yard freestyle (2:31.16).

"Considering Central should have stomped us, I think we did all right," Springstead Head Coach Will O'Lynnger said. "We're missing 20 percent of our team (for various reasons). I think we did respectable.

"I'm proud of my girls. They worked hard. They swam events they were not used to swimming, didn't complain and did a good job."

Almost even

The close scores for the boys reflect the split in first-place finishes for all three teams. Hernando and Central each won four events, while Springstead took three.

The Eagles' firsts all came in races involving three-time state qualifier Dan Barry. The senior won the 200-IM (2:21.64) and 100-fly (58.60) with relative ease, and anchored the top the 400-free relay that included James Schillinger, Brian Roebuck and Sean D'Amico (4:18.48).

The Bears had only nine swimmers, but still received firsts from Sheffield in the 100-breast and 50-free (24.70) and Derek Buel in the 200-free (2:17.28) and 500-free (6:19.09).

For the Leopards, Hartsock was a hard-luck runner-up in both his events, also finishing second to Barry in the IM (2:30.87).

But Paul Wernicke and Jesse Lane picked up the slack winning the 100-free (1:01.85) and 100-back (1:10.69) respectively.

Those three also won on two relays, with Joshua Orendorf in the 200-medley (2:03.15) and Jordin Williams in the 200-free (1:51.11).

"I'm so proud, I couldn't be more excited," Hernando Head Coach Anne Elsea said. "It got them all pumped up for districts (Oct. 28), I know it did.

"I think having two teams here added extra competition. It's different swimmers pushing them a little bit harder."

Girls
Central 71, Hernando 23
Central 62, Springstead 32
Springstead 60, Hernando 34

200-yard medley relay
1. Brown, Withington, McGeehan, Parsolano (CEN) 2:14.08, 2. Launier, Healy, Brinker, Thoures (SPG) 2:27.01, 3. E. Antonini, M. Martin, Ketchum, N. Antonini (HER) 2:31.53.

200-yard freestyle
1. Brinker (SPG) 2:31.16, 2. Saffold (CEN) 2:48.93, 4. Mojeiko (HER) 3:01.65.

200-yard IM
1. Withington (CEN) 2:34.08, 2. Thoures (SPG) 3:01.34, 4. M. Martin (HER) 3:05.27.

50-yard freestyle
1. McGeehan (CEN) 28.83, 2. N. Antonini (HER) 33.08, 5. Aguiar (SPG) 35.39.

100-yard butterfly
1. McGeehan (CEN) 1:11.35, 2. Brinker (SPG) 1:19.12, 3. Ketchum (HER) 1:28.22.

100-yard freestyle
1. Catalano (CEN) 1:11.24, 3. E. Antonini (HER) 1:19.44, 3. Aguiar (SPG) 1:19.94.

500-yard freestyle
1. Healy (SPG) 6:19.14, 2. Brown (CEN) 6:50.87, 5. Rhodes (HER) 8:05.71.

200-yard freestyle relay
1. Withington, Catalano, Parsolano, McGeehan (CEN) 2:05.09, 2. Gunderson, Thoures, Healy, Brinker (SPG) 2:08.21, 3. Ketchum, M. Martin, E. Antonini, N. Antonini (HER) 2:13.65.

100-yard backstroke
1. Brown (CEN) 1:23.06, 3. Ketchum (HER) 1:30.33, 4. Launier (SPG) 1:36.45.

100-yard breaststroke
1. Healy (SPG) 1:21.31, 2. Withington (CEN) 1:22.34, 5. L. Martin (HER) 1:45.24.

400-yard freestyle relay
1. Catalano, Brown, Parsolano, Sznajder (NCT) 4:48.57, 2. Hoover, Cross, Launier, Aguiar (SPG) 5:25.58, 4. Shutt, Hoffman, Harmon, Lloyd (HER) 5:43.26.

Boys
Hernando 52, Central 42
Hernando 58, Springstead 36
Central 52, Springstead 41

200-yard medley relay
1. Orendorf, Hartsock, Lane, Wernicke (HER) 2:03.15, 2. Schillinger, Barry, Nuzzi, D'Amico (SPG) 2:10.78, 3. Anderson, Adams, Martin, Vega (CEN) 2:21.45.

200-yard freestyle
1. Buel (CEN) 2:17.28, 2. Harris (SPG) 2:35.70, 3. Morrill (HER) 2:39.21.

200-yard IM
1. Barry (SPG) 2:21.64, 2. Hartsock (HER) 2:30.87, 3. Martin (CEN) 2:58.53.

50-yard freestyle
1. Sheffield (CEN) 24.70, 2. Wernicke (HER) 26.07, 5. Mazzia (SPG) 31.47.

100-yard butterfly
1. Barry (SPG) 58.60, 2. Lane (HER) 1:11.31, 4. Martin (CEN) 1:30.66.

100-yard freestyle
1. Wernicke (HER) 1:01.85, 2. Anderson (CEN) 1:04.67, 5. Henry (SPG) 1:11.12.

500-yard freestyle
1. Buel (CEN) 6:19.09, 2. Phillips (HER) 7:17.35, 3. Harris (SPG) 7:23.63.

200-yard freestyle relay
1. Wernicke, Lane, J. Williams, Hartsock (HER) 1:51.11, 2. Sheffield, Martin, Caramanica, Anderson (CEN) 1:55.83, 4. Mazzia, Henry, Clary, Roebuck (SPG) 2:08.02.

100-yard backstroke
1. Lane (HER) 1:10.69, 3. Adams (CEN) 1:26.00, 4. Schillinger (SPG) 1:28.21.

100-yard breaststroke
1. Sheffield (CEN) 1:09.52, 2. Hartsock (HER) 1:10.94, 3. Gormley (SPG) 1:27.23.

400-yard freestyle relay
1. Schillinger, Roebuck, D'Amico, Barry (SPG) 4:18.48, 2. Sheffield, Buel, Rodriguez, Caramanica (CEN) 4:26.92, 3. Freed, Parmelee, Morrill, J. Williams (HER) 4:39.47.

Sports writer Chris Bernhardt Jr. can be reached at (352) 544-5288 or cbernhardt@hernandotoday.com.

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