TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hernando Today

Phelps Effect?

ADVERTISEMENT

By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: September 13, 2008

Tonight swimming goes mainstream. Michael Phelps, fresh off winning eight Olympic gold medals, hosts the season premiere of Saturday Night Live.

Fittingly, a few hours earlier, Central High and Nature Coast Technical kick off their seasons with a 6 p.m. meet at the Hernando County Family YMCA.

In the wake of Phelps' incredible performance in Beijing last month, prep swims teams are riding a wave of participation, particularly for boys.
Nature Coast boasts 44 swimmers overall, while Central has 12 boys, a significant rise.

"I think Phelps helped," said Julie Withington, starting her 14th year as head coach at Central. "This is the most boys I've had in years. I don't know if it took two or three years to build up to that or it was the Olympics. I think it was. It pumped them up for a sport they're interested in learning."

Hernando High has already begun its season with a meet versus Lecanto last week, while Springstead starts next Saturday taking on Central at the YMCA pool.

Central: defending county crowns

In a continuing trend of coaching changes, Withington is the lone returning coach among the four county programs.

She helms the defending county champion for both boys and girls, but took a significant hit with the graduation of Girls Swimmer of the Year Elizabeth McGeehan, as well as four-time regional qualifier Janelle Kollin. Also senior Melanie McHugh has elected not to return because of other commitments.
Mary Alice McGeehan, the younger sister of Elizabeth and a two-time regional qualifier, returns for her junior season, along with sophomores Emily Withington and Shelby Brown, regional qualifiers as freshmen.

The boys return senior Barrett Sheffield, the school record holder in the 100-yard breaststroke, and sophomore Derek Buel, who qualified for regionals last year in the 500-yard freestyle.

"I hope we can win the county," Withington said. "I hope we show strength in our different strokes and I hope the hard work pays off in practice and I hope they meet their goals."

Over at Springstead, the county's version of Phelps, three-time Boys Swimmer of the Year Dan Barry, enters his senior year trying to make states for a fourth time.

At the Class 2A state meet last year, Barry finished ninth in the 100-yard butterfly (53.21) and 13th in the 200-yard IM (2:03.88). However, he no longer does club swimming and hasn't swum since last season.

The Springstead boys also won't have the services of the county's top distance swimmer, Billy Davis, and Barry's younger brother, Jay. Both regional qualifiers in 2007, neither has come back this year.

Two-time regional qualifier Angel Healy and Christine Brinker, returning after a year off, are seniors who will lead the girls' team.

"The girls are looking a lot stronger than the boys," said Will O'Lynnger, Springstead's fourth coach in as many seasons. "I've got some senior girls who are hard workers. They're going to bare the brunt of the season."

O'Lynnger swam competitively up until high school and still swims for recreation. Hernando's new coach, Anne Elsea, not only swam in high school but for four years at Rollins College.

Last year she served as an assistant to Judi Decker, who in four seasons built the Leopards back to respectability.

Hernando is led by senior Corey Hartsock, a regional qualifier in the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard breaststroke. Fellow senior Jesse Lane, a regional qualifier in the 100-yard backstroke, is back as well.

"I think we really have a lot of new seniors who want to make their senior year really strong," Elsea said. "I'm trying to implement new things in practice, more on stroke mechanics. I think that'll help."

New Nature Coast coach Paul Wigoda takes over for Chris Bibbo (who has stayed on as an assistant), giving the Sharks their fourth new head coach in as many seasons.
Nature Coast has just one returning regional qualifier in an individual event, senior James Foster, but has the kind of numbers that should help it remain competitive.

"I'm expecting the boys and girls to pretty much hold their own, especially in the county," Wigoda said. "I'm hoping to see a lot of kids go to regionals and maybe three or four qualify for states. I'd love to see that."

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

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT