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Twice the talent and titles

HILLSBOROUGH BOYS CO-SWIMMERS OF THE YEAR: Jesuit's Tommy Wyher and Freedom's Michael Silva each won two state crowns this season.

By TERRY JONES
Published December 17, 2004

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BRANDON - In a season when boys swimmers and divers from Hillsborough County established themselves as top athletes - many making the state finals - two stood out above the rest.

Jesuit sophomore Tommy Wyher and Freedom junior Michael Silva were allowed to compete in just two individual events, with each winning state championships in both.

For Silva, it was his second straight season capturing a pair of individual titles. Competing in Class 2A, he won the 100 breaststroke with a time of 58.70 seconds and the 200 individual medley in 1 minute, 57.80 seconds.

Wyher won gold and silver last year as a freshman. This season he took the 100-yard butterfly in 53.26 and the 100 backstroke in 54.31.

Because of their outstanding individual performances at the highest level of state competition, they were selected Times' Co-Swimmers of the Year for Hillsborough County.

Wyher was pleased with his team's overall performance this season, even with the new format. A regional meet was inserted for the first time between the district and state meets, which eliminated all but the top 16 swimmers in the state in each classification.

"I was proud of my team all year, but my best memory of this year's team will be our regional win," Wyher said. "We won the first regional meet and by more than 50 points. I was really proud of our team that night."

In addition to the double state championships won by Wyher and Silva, Hillsborough County had a third individual state champion. Armwood senior Aleksandr Volovetski captured the state championship in diving. He was second last year, but won gold on the 1-meter springboard this year.

Bill Shaffer coached Jesuit to a fourth-place finish in Class A, the most competitive class in state swimming.

In addition to Wyher's individual performance, the Tigers' 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays placed fourth at the state meet after winning both the district and regional meets.

For his efforts with Jesuit's team this season, Shaffer was selected Times' Coach of the Year.

"This team just took a step up this season," Shaffer said. "Bryn Leonard, Tommy Wyher, Stephen Sheridan, Jimmy Goodwin and Sully Lynch are All-Americans. They are also all great kids, who should be even better next year."

Only a few days after winning his two state titles, Wyher was back in the pool training for his next competition. He trains daily and loves being part of the Jesuit team.

"As a freshman with several other freshmen last year, we had a tough time, but we did better this season," Wyher said. "I didn't swim to get swimmer of the year, but it is nice.

"We are a team at Jesuit and it is fun. Next year we should be even better as a team and individually. We even have some pretty good freshmen coming in next season."

Shaffer was pleased with his Tigers team all season, especially Wyher.

"Tommy has something in him that drives him in a race," Shaffer said. "He just does not like to lose and that inner drive pushes him harder. The trick is getting him into the finals. He barely made it to the finals this year in the fly and had to win the championship from lane eight.

"He did though."

ALL-COUNTY TEAM

CO-SWIMMERS OF THE YEAR

MICHAEL SILVA, FREEDOM, JR.: Won the 100 breaststroke in 58.70 seconds and the 200 individual medley in 1 minute, 57.80 seconds.

TOMMY WYHER, JESUIT, SO.: Won the 100 butterfly in 53.26 and 100 backstroke in 54.31.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Bill Shaffer, Jesuit

FIRST TEAM

500 Freestyle - Chris Olinger (Wharton)

200 Free - Chris Olinger (Wharton)

100 Free - Dustin Frissell (Berkeley Prep)

50 Free - Jimmy Goodwin (Jesuit)

100 Backstroke - Ryan Stumpf (Tampa Prep)

100 Breaststroke - Bryn Leonard (Jesuit)

100 Butterfly - Stephen Sherridan (Jesuit); Xavier Munoz (King).

200 Individual Medley - Jeff Mueller (Tampa Prep)

Diving - Aleksandr Volovetski (Armwood)

200 Medley Relay - Jesuit (Tommy Wyher, Bryn Leonard, Stephen Sheridan, Jimmy Goodwin)

200 Free Relay - Jesuit (Andrew Werdine, Sully Lynch, Matt Josey, Jimmy Goodwin)

400 Free Relay - Jesuit (Stephen Sheridan, Sully Lynch, Matt Attal, Tommy Wyher)

SECOND TEAM

500 Free - Jeff Mueller (Tampa Prep)

200 Free - Jonathan Jordan (Berkeley Prep)

100 Free - Matt Outlaw (Durant)

50 Free - Matt Outlaw (Durant)

100 Backstroke - Travis Lowki (Tampa Prep)

100 Breaststroke - Tyler Wellman (Jesuit)

100 Butterfly - Joel Harris (Tampa Catholic)

200 Individual Medley - Marc Mayes (Tampa Prep)

1-Meter Diving - Chris Plante (Durant); Eli Bobo (Tampa Prep)

200 Medley Relay - Plant (Jeff Johnson, Matt Anderson, Alex Critcher, Andrew Bratman)

200 Free Relay - Tampa Prep (Ryan Shumpf, Kyle Renaldo, Greg Mayes, Jeff Mueller)

400 Free Relay - Tampa Prep (Ryan Stumpf, Greg Mayes, Marc Mayes, Jeff Mueller)

HONORABLE MENTION

Armwood - Ryan Silver, Terry Alloway, John Reese, Timothy Casey; Berkeley Prep - Zach Kaplan, Eric Plevin, Ben Landon, Aaron Levy, Kyle Dent, Sam Bobo; Blake - Jonathan Pitocco, Jonathan Riebow, Matt Sellers, Matt Brown; Bloomingdale - Michael Smith,Trenton Wiggins, John Carter, Thomas Applebee, Anthony Cline; Brandon - Favio Diaz, Brian Williams, John-Peter Dolphin, Stephen Holguin; Chamberlain - Andrew Waldo, Chris Lilliston, Billy Shugart, Chris Revis; Durant - Chris Parsley, Kurt Griner, Jeff James, Jonathan Weaver; East Bay - Brandon Curp, Matt Dawson, Josuah Marzilli, Jonathan Craig; Freedom - Jeff Magol, Matt Szabunio, James Stocks; Gaither - Christian Bemuil, Brett Davis, Mu Li, Robert Hart; Hillsborough - Reed Shimberg, Tim Bonner, Austin Waldo, Ansel Hillmer; Jesuit - Eric Wherley, Marcelo Garcia, King - Xavier Munoz, Cong Nguyen, Lasxman Pichappan, James Cook, Daniel Peterson; Middleton - Derek Stanley; Newsome - Drew Lyons, Alex Ans, Stoddard Pickrall, Stephen Fanning; Plant - Charles Crosby, Matthew Mones, David Dinkel, Stephen Young; Gregory Stevens, Matthew Caton, Joshua Anderson; Riverview - Kyle Love, David Solano, Sean Burke, Dan Leonard; Sickles - Brad Bernstein, Kevin Frey, Ross Suczzo, Dayne Jones; Tampa Bay Tech - Samuel Belyea, Marcus Virelles, Andres Moguel, Aaron Garofano; Tampa Catholic - Geoffrey Oliveria, Joel Harris, William Scweiberger, Jonathan Latimer; Tampa Prep - Sam Gagne; Wharton - Gregory Stevens, Jake Albright, Matthew Caton.

[Last modified December 17, 2004, 00:07:19]