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Streaks Make Strides At Regionals

Brian GjurgevichHighlands Today

Sebring senior Megan Wolfe swims in the final of the 100-yard butterfly on Saturday at the Class 2A Region 3 championship meet at North Shore Pool in St. Petersburg.

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By BRIAN GJURGEVICH

Highlands Today

Published: November 10, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Megan Wolfe doesn't need a fast start to have a big day.

Just as long she gets enough hang time to make up for it.

"I'm known for my slow start," said Wolfe after she finished third in regional final for the second time on Saturday at the Class 2A-Region 3 swim meet at North Shore Pool. "I just have really bad reaction time. If you give me a stopwatch, I'm fine, but when you put me on a block, I'm just, I don't know."

Turns out Wolfe didn't need a stopwatch: She finished third in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-butterfly, and appears to be in good shape to qualify for her fourth straight 2A state meet. Wolfe cruised to a 24.11 in the finals of the 50-free (an event she's competed in at state every year of her prep career) and soared through a slow start for a 59.55 in the 100-butterfly, noting she makes up for any disadvantage off the blocks with a longer leap into the water, which all starts with a "grab-start."

"Everyone says it's slower, but you get a good jump," said Wolfe. "When you do a track-start, you're on one foot, and most people push off their back leg.

"I jump with two legs, and I'm getting further in the air before I hit the water."

Wolfe also anchored the girls 200-free relay team of senior Kristi Livingston, senior Katie Bullard and Alana Gordon, which also has a chance for state after taking sixth in the finals with a 1:45.94.

The regional champion in each event earns automatic berths to state, and the roster is filled out with the 23 next best times in each individual event. Official state invites were not available as of press time.

Senior Bryan Kirsch is hoping for his second straight appearance at state after he took fourth in the 100-breaststroke with a 1:05.85. Lamenting a miss on his last turn that raised his final time 0.67 seconds from his preliminary, Kirsch hoped his mark would stack up to get a chance to prove himself.

"My start was all right, and I was feeling good on the first two turns," Kirsch said. "I had a really bad turn and it killed my momentum.

"I think I can go lower if I go to state. I'm looking at 1:03 at least. I'm feeling good in the water, I've got to get my stamina up so I can finish faster. It's just the little things."

Paige Giller had no shot at state as she jumped into the pool for her final high school swim, but the Sebring senior chased a goal until the last stroke: Giller broke a school record in the 100-breaststroke and won the consolation final with a 1:15.19, just .04 of a second faster than the previous mark held.

"I knew it was my last chance to break it," Giller said. "I'm a senior and I knew I wasn't going to state. I said, 'This is it, I've got to break it.' "

"I let it all go. I made every pull and kick count. I've been chasing that since my freshman year."

And while Giller's prep career comes to a close, sophomore Brian Miller showed a glimpse of Sebring's bright future in his first regional meet: He took more than four seconds off his seed time to qualify for the finals, then took seventh place with a 1:08.66.

"Miller got off his block real quick and was right on his race," said Sebring boys coach Cheryl Parsons. "He was very aggressive and fast and hungry for a win."

In other regional action, the all-senior girls 200-medley team of Katie Bullard, Giller, Wolfe and Kristi Livingston took first in the consolation finals and ninth overall with a 2:04.79, while the Blue Streak boys 200-medley team of senior Matthew Vickers, Kirsch, Miller and junior Josh Heflin finished 10th overall in 1:51.40.

The boys 200-free medley team of senior Vickers, Miller, Kirsch and Heflin took 12th overall in 1:42.75, while the girls 400-free relay team of Julie Kirsch, Alana Gordon, Katelyn Bryan and Paige Giller finished 12th overall in 2:09.10.

McKenzie Hargaden improved her seeding score but fell just shy of reaching state with a 10th-place score of 307.25 in 1-meter diving.

The Class 2A state meet will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15 at the Central Florida YMCA Aquatic Center in Orlando. Finals begin at 5:30 p.m.

"We think we'll have at least two individuals make it, and hopefully more," said Sebring coach Pat Caton. "We'll have to wait and see, but we have our fingers crossed."

Brian Gjurgevich can be reached at 863-386-5841 or bgjurgevich@highlandstoday.com.

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