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Pasco looking for its third title
By STEVE LEE, Times Staff Writer
DADE CITY -- Pasco's third-year boys team is two years behind the girls program founded in 1998. But the boys hold a 2-0 edge in championships. Pasco's boys earned the school's first title by winning the Suncoast Relays in September. On Nov. 2, they also won the Sunshine Athletic Conference crown. The girls' best finish is third at the 2000 SAC meet. "Winning the conference title, I felt, would show the kids at Pasco High School that the swim team is a winner," Pasco coach Russ Rosenbauer said. "I think it's going to motivate kids coming up from the middle school and also freshmen and sophomores at the school now." Rosenbauer feels the Pirates could make it three titles this week. Pasco competes in the Class A, District 5 meet Thursday and Friday at Gaines Pool in Winter Haven. "We have a shot," said Rosenbauer, noting that the Pirates were runners-up last season without divers. "We have to be lucky, but we could do it." Brett Clark leads Pasco. A three-time state qualifier, Clark, the 2001 All-Pasco County Boys Swimmer of the Year, set six school individual records and was part of two school relay marks in the past three meets. Clark set records in the 200-yard individual medley (2:09.88), 100 butterfly (56.37), 100 breaststroke (1:08.38) 100 freestyle (50.83), 200 free (1:56.26) and 500 free (5:20.55). Clark also teamed with Davy Johnson, Jason Epperson and Ross Coscia to establish marks in the 200 free relay (1 minute, 36.94 seconds) and 400 free relay (3:36.22). "He's going faster than he's ever gone," Rosenbauer said, "and he's still somewhat limited." A competitive swimmer since he was 10, the 17-year-old has been slowed by tendinitis in both shoulders. Though he did not miss a meet in Pasco's 9-1 season, Clark opted out of numerous practices. He rested his shoulders but cross-trained by skipping rope, bicycle riding and running. "He was able to swim through it," Rosenbauer said. Well-rested before the conference meet, Clark impressed his teammates and coach with a gut-check performance. After a disqualification in the 200 IM, Clark rebounded with a 56.37 in the 100 fly, good for second behind Hudson's Joe Hroma (55.02) in one of the meet's closest races. "That showed tremendous poise and maturity," Rosenbauer said. "Even though he got DQ-ed in the 200 IM, he came back two events later and had to swim strong, and he did it. That was one of the best races in the whole meet." Clark had enough energy to team up with Johnson, Epperson and Coscia for a conference record in the 200 free relay. Their time of 1:36.94 bettered their own mark of 1:39.62 at last year's meet. Rosenbauer is counting on another big meet from his four seniors but said others must come through for Pasco to challenge for a district title. Levi Singletary, Mark Hudson and Clark's brother, Orey, a freshman, have helped the Pirates score points, especially in relays. "You can't win the relay with one good kid," Rosenbauer said. "Every kid gets excited about relays. They don't want to let their teammates down."
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From today's Pasco Times Editorial Letters |
