The Jesuit boys won the day's opening event and three other races for an easy win.
By ANTHONY GAGLIANO
Published September 12, 2004
TAMPA - There's always next year for the rest of Hillsborough County.
For the sixth straight year, the Jesuit boys team owned the county relay meet, winning in dominant fashion at Bobby Hicks Memorial Olympic Pool on Saturday.
"Having a lot of swimmers to choose from," said Jesuit coach Bill Shaffer about the reason for his team's success. "We have 23 boys on our team this year and a number of them swim on a year round basis. The best I can do is tweak them while I have them."
The Tigers won the day's opening event, the 200-meter medley, and strengthened their advantage from there. The Tigers got 32 points for that race and won three others to outdistance second-place Plant, 253-141.
The 108-point margin of victory was greater than the score for the two teams that tied for third (Wharton and Gaither at 104).
Sophomore Sully Lynch stepped up with three of his best times, including back-to-back races. After competing in the 400-meter freestyle, Lynch had just three heats to rest before he swam the backstroke in the 400-meter medley.
The Tigers also received a big lift from an unexpected source. James Spears was an alternate, but when Shaffer had a no-show, he pressed Spears into action. The Tigers didn't skip a beat in either race as Spears contributed to first in one race and second in the other.
While Plant struggled to keep up, the Panthers gained a measure of revenge in the final race. Trailing heading into the last leg of the 200-meter free, anchor man Jeff Johnson used an overpowering finish to make up the difference as Plant won by nearly two seconds.
A three-year starter for the Panthers, Johnson had been better known as a backstroker.
"He's really developed over the years," Plant coach Gil Gonzalez said. "His times are better now than the end of last year."
Like the boys, the Plant girls came in second, but only after Academy of the Holy Names rallied in the final events. The Panthers held a one-point lead entering the final two events, but the Jaguars pulled away in the mixed 4x100, forming a dynamic combination with Jesuit, and the 200-meter free to win 205-191.
"It's always neck-and-neck with Academy," Gonzalez said. "Every other year, we seem to trade the first- and second-place trophies with them."
Panthers Sarah Allen, Holly Hall and Erica Smith, who has showed dramatic improvement from last season according to Gonzalez, had stellar meets for Plant. The Panthers won the breaststroke relay and claimed second in the butterfly to hold off Berkeley Prep, which finished third with 172 points.
