NCT Boys: Another County Victory

Springstead High finally got its first meet of the season in Friday night at the Hernando County Family YMCA.

But it was the Nature Coast boys who dominated the pool, dropping the Eagles, 94-77, for their second win of the season. Meanwhile, the Springstead girls held off the Lady Sharks, 79-72.

This marked the Sharks' second victory in team history over the Eagles (the first came last year), almost three weeks after their first win ever over Central.

"It looks like a record-setting year for the Nature Coast boys," said first-year Nature Coast Head Coach Paul Wigoda. "We're coming into our own. They realize they have the potential to be one of the strongest teams in the county for a couple years.

"It's the rivalry between Springstead and Nature Coast all the time. It doesn't matter what sport it is. It just brings out the competitiveness in the kids. The boys wanted it real bad. We changed our lineup a little bit and it worked for us."

Strength in numbers

Springstead can certainly lay claim to the county's top swimmer, with three-time state qualifier Dan Barry entering his senior season.

As expected, Barry blew away the competition in his two individual events, completing the 200-yard IM in 2:18.78 and the 100-yard butterfly in 58.31.

He also anchored the winning 400-yard freestyle relay team that included Christopher Echanique, Sean D'Amico and James Schillinger. The quartet won the race in 4:18.35.

"It took us a while to get started. We usually start in September and it's already October," Barry said. "But we have a lot of meets lined up.

"As a team I saw big improvement with everyone from last year. So I think that's a good way to start off with our first meet of the season.

"We have a new coach each year, so it's difficult adjusting to the different types of workouts you do. But I think Coach O (Will O'Lynnger) is doing a good job. I feel good. I wasn't dying at the end of my races."

However, no other Eagle swimmer other than Barry earned a first-place finish. That combined with superior numbers led to a Nature Coast team triumph.

Juniors Joe MacGregor and Alex Wigoda paced the Sharks, each winning in four races. MacGregor continued to stay undefeated in both the 50-yard freestyle (25.97) and 100-yard freestyle (1:01.28).

Wigoda went 4-for-4 for the first time in his three-year prep career, taking the 200-yard freestyle (2:21.65) and 100-yard breaststroke (1:17.96).

Wigoda and MacGregor joined Alex Ciccone and Evan Monahan on the top 200-yard medley relay (2:11.49) and Rob Gomez and James Foster on the first-place 200-yard freestyle relay (1:55.77).

"I'm so excited going 4-0," said Wigoda, the team captain and son of the head coach. "I swam the 200-free for the first time since my freshman year. I improved by 15 seconds since practice and I'm excited.

"My dad is the coach, he's pushing me in the pool and at home to do better and do great things and get our name out there."

Foster, a senior and returning regional qualifier, finished second to MacGregor in the 50-free (27.38) and took the 500-yard freestyle (6:41.68) in the first time he had ever swam that race in a meet.

"It was really different," Foster said of the 500. "I've practiced a lot of endurance and it seemed to pay off in the meet."

Ciccone provide the other first-place finish for the Sharks, winning the 100-yard backstroke in 1:23.91.

Close girls meet

The Springstead girls led by just two points (57-55) after the 200-free relay, but pulled away over the final three events to hold off their Nature Coast counterparts.

Senior Christine Brinker captured two individual events, the 200-free (2:31.68) and 100-fly (1:17.81). Angel Healy did the same in the 500-free (6:34.96) and 100-breast (1:22.75).

Those two plus Elizabeth Launier and Kim Thoures won the 200-medley relay (2:24.32). Thoures added a win in the 200-IM (3:06.05) to round out the Lady Eagle top performers.

"We've been training for six weeks so we've been working for this. So I'm pretty happy with them," said O'Lynnger, beginning his first year as Springstead head coach. "We've been practicing our specialty strokes and it showed. We've got to pick up a little freestyle work.

"I'm very proud of them. The girls bucked up and were solid when they needed to be and the only reason we didn't do better is we don't have the numbers."

The Lady Sharks received two individual victories from Victoria Loydgren, in the 50-free (29.06) and 100-back (1:17.59) for the third time in as many meets.

Brooke Schreiner came out on top in the 100-free (1:17.31) and teamed with Kahla Voyles, Marissa Pilolli and Natalie Bogicevic on the first-place 200-free relay (2:09).

Voyles, Bogicevic, Loydgren and Danielle Martin also won the 400-free relay (5:07.50).

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

Girls
Springstead 79, Nature Coast 72

200-yard medley relay
1. Launier, Healy, Brinker, Thoures (SPG) 2:24.32, 2. Loydgren, Pilolli, Bogicevic, Ritchie (NCT) 2:30.61.

200-yard freestyle
1. Brinker (SPG) 2:31.68, 3. Voyles (NCT) 2:54.97.

200-yard IM
1. Thoures (SPG) 3:06.05, 4. Pilolli (NCT) 3:41.95.

50-yard freestyle
1. Loydgren (NCT) 29.06, 4. Sheppard (SPG) 33.50.

100-yard butterfly
1. Brinker (SPG) 1:71.81, 2. Bogicevic (NCT) 1:27.15.

100-yard freestyle
1. Schreiner (NCT) 1:17.31, 4. Aguiar (SPG) 1:25.50.

500-yard freestyle
1. Healy (SPG) 6:34.96, 3. Sperry (NCT) 10:10.

200-yard freestyle relay
1. Schreiner, Voyles, Pilolli, Bogicevic (NCT) 2:09, 2. Gunderson, Thoures, Healy, Brinker (SPG) 2:09.30.

100-yard backstroke
1. Loydgren (NCT) 1:17.59, 2. Austin (SPG) 1:32.52.

100-yard breaststroke
1. Healy (SPG) 1:22.75, 3. Voyles (NCT) 1:34.51.

400-yard freestyle relay
1. Voyles, Bogicevic, Loydgren, Martin (NCT) 5:07.50, 2. Launier, Hoover, Julia, Gunderson (SPG) 5:26.24.

Boys
Nature Coast 94, Springstead 77

200-yard medley relay
1. Ciccone, Monahan, Wigoda, MacGregor (NCT) 2:11.49, 2. Schillinger, Barry, Echanique, D'Amico (SPG) 2:13.10.

200-yard freestyle
1. Wigoda (NCT) 2:21.65, 2. Harris (SPG) 2:42.14.

200-yard IM
1. Barry (SPG) 2:18.78, 3. Wolf (NCT) 3:04.24.

50-yard freestyle
1. MacGregor (NCT) 25.97, 4. Nuzzi (SPG) 30.93.

100-yard butterfly
1. Barry (SPG) 58.31, 3. Wolf (NCT) 1:28.76.

100-yard freestyle
1. MacGregor (NCT) 1:01.28, 2. D'Amico (SPG) 1:08.07.

500-yard freestyle
1. Foster (NCT) 6:41.68, 2. Echanique (SPG) 7:01.63.

200-yard freestyle relay
1. Wigoda, Gomez, Foster, MacGregor (NCT) 1:55.77, 2. Nuzzi, Roebuck, Henry, Schillinger (SPG) 2:04.44.

100-yard backstroke
1. Ciccone (NCT) 1:23.91, 2. England (SPG) 1:36.11.

100-yard breaststroke
1. Wigoda (NCT) 1:17.96, 2. Nuzzi (SPG) 1:25.98.

400-yard freestyle relay
1. Echanique, D'Amico, Schillinger, Barry (SPG) 4:18.35, 2. Ciccone, M. Rivett, Gomez, Mouteguino (NCT) 4:51.84.