Teams hope to make splash in Florida Junior Olympics

Clubs of swimmers are in Gainesville this weekend for the Florida Junior Olympics.

Qualifying for finals or producing personal bests are the goals of many competitors. For others, it's the chance to gain experience in a big meet.

"We hope to finish in the top 10 as a team, even though we have a lot of swimmers that just aged up and are at the bottom of their age group," Clearwater Aquatic Team coach Mike Yearwood said.

The girls representing CAT in the short-course championship for individuals 14-and-younger are Stephanie Widmer, Caitlin Warner, Joy Taylor, Jennifer Guyler, Jie Deng, Colleen Bauza, Sarah Barry, Jana Willsey, Jill Sears, Paige and Kelsie Schmidt, Julie Marchenia, Ashley and Megan Rossi, Rebecca Howard, Madison Hansen, Chelsea Lavona, Candace Thornburg, Whitney Roper, Deidre Novotny, Julianne Tsagaris, Kariann Stevens, Amanda Miller, Dana Fredericks, Kelsey Dent and Anne Carpenter. The boys are Clay Bullock, Adam Corbin, James and Jonathan Taddeo, Alex Glover, Jose Crescimbeni, Daniel Barry, Wes Stearnes, Cameron Martin, Sandor Hugert, Noah Harrington and Stephen Tsagaris.

"We're going to JOs with the attitude that we want to walk out of there with some personal best times," said Cashel Mack, West Florida Lightning Aquatic Club coach. The WFLA qualifiers are: Meaghan Thomas, Raquel Montoya, Tara Cromer, Alexandra Hamilton, Lana Douglass, Ally Smith, Tierney Moses, Trevor Caldwell, Andrew Blazuk, Keith Coghlan, Aaron Haas, Nicole and William Gauzens, Francisco and Antonio Birk and Claire, Christine and Matthew Thompson.

Last year, the WFLA boys finished first. The club was third.

The Dunedin Aquatic Club is represented by Lacy Beebe, Kelsey Buckley, Janet Mara and Hannah Smith (10-and-under girls) and Catherine Hofacker (11-12). Next weekend, CAT hosts the Florida Senior Championships at the Long Center.

Among the swimmers will be CAT's Lauren and Clay Bullock, Janeen Alidina, Raana Simmons, Cindy Rosal, Jessica Cummings, Courtney Childress, Katelynn Stevens, Kassie Schmidt, Sarah Michael, Hill, Caitlin Warner, Joy Taylor, Kimberly Iaquinto, Deng, Bauza, Sarah Barry, Thornburg, Whitney Roper, Novotny, Harrington, Bradley Marchenia, Matt Barry, Jay Carpenter, Josh Curnutte, Jason Millhouse, Patrick Davis, Grant Johnson, Chris Meritt and Konrad Ciolko.

Competing for WFLA will be Teresa Tessier, Ashley Gorman, Marlise Davidson, Mary Anne Thomas, Kristin Box, Britta Hays, Katie Metka, Leann Laing, Julie Johnson, Laurie Moreau, Mallory Coulombe, Amy Stock, Stephanie Gauzens, Katie Byrne, Franko Salvatore, Nick Vilaret, Craig and Ross Coghlan, Mike Eyermann, Ryan Singletary, Caldwell and Jorge Perdomo.

BOYS GYMNASTICS: Apollo placed second in boys Class 5 competition and third in Class 6 and Class 7 in the West Coast Invitational. Jackson Sterling and Jordan Loscalzo won in Class 5. Grant Brittain and Jeremy Roberson were second and fifth, respectively. Bradley Hutson won the Class 6 vault and medaled in the floor, pommel horse, parallel bars, rings and high bar events to take third all-around. Tomily Bourgoing was third, Andy Shaffer fourth, Jessee Scott fifth and Evan Rubinson sixth. J.P. MacDonald placed first in Class 7 and won the floor and rings and was second in vault, pommel, parallel bars and high bar. Others in the top five all-around were Brandon Street and Clark Morrison.

GIRLS GYMNASTICS: Alicia Archibald was first all-around in Level 9 and Amanda Breen was second in Level 7 in the Second AAU Qualifier in Port Richey last month. Archibald won the balance beam and uneven bars and was third in floor exercise and on vault. Breen was second on vault and beam and in floor.

Bayside Gymnastics collected six top-10 all-around awards in the Hilton Invitational in Reno, Nev. Casey Caleca was first and Danielle Carey seventh in Level 8, helping the team finish fourth. Amanda Shumake was third, Amy Rice fourth, Kortney Wright seventh and Caitlin Wright ninth in Level 7. Bayside's Level 7 squad was third.

Bayside had eight top-10 honors in the West Coast Invitational. The second-place Level 8 team was sparked by Jenna Paul's runner-up performance, Caleca's fourth and Carey's fifth. The fourth-place Level 7 squad was led by Melissa Tomlin (second), Caitlin Wright's fourth, Rice's sixth, Kortney Wright's seventh and Elle Mixa's seventh.

LaFleur's of Largo won Level 7 and 9 in the Tampa Bay Invitational in St. Petersburg. Level 7 was paced by Lisa Leone and Jamie Applefield's first-place performances, Amber Lee and Nicole Abdo's thirds, Jordyn Wright's fourth and Stephanie Young's fifth. In Level 9, Alyssa Wright was second, and Briana Melander was first in Level 8.

At the West Coast Invite, LaFleur's captured titles in Level 9 and 7. Level 9 was fueled by Whitney Eberhardt and Alyssa Wright. Level 7 was headed by seniors Kaitlin Doulou, Amber Lee, Ashley Strong, Alex Smith-Prance and Jacqui Supplee; juniors Marissa Tomillonus and Kalley Comparetto (firsts); and Jordyn Wright, Applefield and Young (third).

Apollo, host of the West Coast Invitational, won Level 4 with firsts from Leslie Gillespie and Sherilyn Mansfield, seconds by Amanda Russell and Lauryn Yost and thirds from Ashlee Roberst and Alyssa Sichak. Stephanie Hessling's first in Level 5, along with Kendra Miller's second and Sally Rae Fix's third, helped the program collect a runner-up award. Chelsea Hawkey was second in Level 6, and Laura Piehl was fifth.

Apollo received second-place performances from Kathryn Fulk (Level 7) and Catherine Kelley (Level 9) in the Charleston Cup in North Carolina. Fulk won beam and floor, Kelley vault and floor. Stephanie Kostakis was fifth in Level 7.

POWER KIDS: The Sunburst Power Kids' Sheree Fagan was first in sub-novice tumbling and novice trampoline in the state AAU competition last month. The program's other winners were Regan Wright (7-8 tumbling), Krystal Lewis (9-11 tumbling), Drake Fagan (8-and-older sub-advanced trampoline), Raven Goodall (6-and-under double mini) and Alia Goodall (8-10 double mini). Finishing second were Kelly Cannon and Drake Fagan (tumbling), Krystal Lewis and the Fagans (double mini), and the Goodalls (trampoline).

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