Tri-County Championships provide local swimmers with feedback

If the Tri-County Championships, held Oct. 6 at Sarasota's Selby Aquatics Center, offers a look at where local high school swimmers stand against some of the state's top athletes, most found out they need to drop some serious time going into the districts meets in two weeks.

Lakewood Ranch High boys senior Sebastian Aguirre might be in the best position of all the local swimmers. At the Tri-County meet, Aguirre took gold in the 50 freestyle (21.78) and 100 freestyle (47.79), and helped the 200 medley (1:44.22) and 400 freestyle (3:26.96) relay teams to third-place finishes. Both wins were strong, and the 100 freestyle especially so. He beat Riverview High senior Alexander Gardner (48.19), who finished fourth in the event at last year’s state championships.

“I wanted to win bad,” Aguirre said. “At this meet, you’re going against the top people, and I know a lot of them from the (Sarasota Tsunami) club season.  I feel good right now. I knew I could have a great day and throw down the hammer.”

Despite Aguirre’s freestyle prowess, he won’t be swimming any individual freestyle events in the postseason, instead focusing on the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly. On Sept. 15, Aguirre set the 100 butterfly record (50.82) at the Tarpon Invite in Punta Gorda, crushing the previous meet record of 52.44 set by Venice High’s Mark Cox in 2008. That season, Cox finished second at the state meet in the event.

Aguirre finished fifth in the event at the state meet last year. He hopes to earn a medal at this year's state meet while dropping his time under 48.99 to make the Summer Junior Nationals cut. When asked how much time he expects to drop between the Tri-County meet and the state meet, Aguirre said he honestly didn’t know.

“It depends on your mental state,” Aguirre said. “How well you’re eating and sleeping. If you feel good overall, you’ll drop time. I’m training day in, day out. This is crunch time, so I have to crunch it.”

For Braden River High girls junior Kate Walker, the season hasn’t been as smooth as Aguirre’s. Her sophomore season was filled with injuries, including a fracture in her back. She eventually finished sixth in the 50 freestyle (24.19) and fifth in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.92) at the state meet. After that meet, she took six month off from being in the water at all, to give her body some rest.

Getting back in the water after that prolonged break hasn’t been as easy as Walker anticipated, she said. There were also setbacks with her injuries, so Walker couldn’t begin real training for the high school season until two weeks before her first meet, she said.

Walker said her junior season has been frustrating. At the Tri-County Championships, she finished fourth in the 50 freestyle (26.42) and seventh in the 100 breaststroke (1:12.54).

“I was telling myself this year would be a fresh start,” Walker said, “But it has been challenging. In order to get where I want to be (on the medal stand), I have to get back to my old speed plus more.

“I realize I can’t expect too much right now. I’m training every day, twice if possible, and focusing on the bigger picture. There’s a phrase I read recently I keep repeating — 'You can’t rush excellence'. I can’t get too upset, things take time.”

She has two weeks to get ready for the district meet. If she qualifies for regionals there, which she’s on track to do, she’s got the talent and past results to think she can make a run at the state meet again as she regains comfort in the water.

Other key results from the Tri-County Meet:

Lakewood Ranch senior Emily Loefgren finished second in the girls 100 breaststroke (1:11.31).

The Out-of-Door Academy junior Zach Szmania finished fourth in the boys 200 individual medley (2:00.81), while Lakewood Ranch freshman Dimiter Zafirov finished seventh (2:04.53).

Szmania also finished third in the boys 500 freestyle (4:48.17).

Lakewood Ranch junior Emily Massengale finished fifth in the girls 100 backstroke (1:03.09).

The Out-of-Door Academy freshman Reece Whatmore finished sixth in the girls 500 freestyle (5:20.29).

Lakewood Ranch sophomore Suzy Aguirre finished seventh in the girls 100 fly (1:03.60).

Lakewood Ranch senior Ata Akar finished eighth in the boys 50 freestyle (23.77).

The Braden River girls 200 freestyle relay team finished fourth (1:49.77) while Lakewood Ranch finished 10th (1:54.13).

The Lakewood Ranch girls 400 freestyle relay team finished fifth (3:53.48).

The Braden River boys 200 medley relay team finished eighth (1:52.67).