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Gator teams keep tabs on each other
The boys and girls squads at Land O'Lakes share a pursuit of a perfect season.
By STEVE LEE
Published October 5, 2005
LAND O'LAKES - Not that the teams compete against one another, but the Land O'Lakes boys and girls squads are in pursuit of unbeaten regular seasons once again.
The Land O'Lakes boys went unbeaten in 2003 and 2004; the school's girls team was perfect in the regular season in 2003 and lost once last year.
Both squads were 5-0 before late Tuesday's tri-meet with Pasco and Wesley Chapel at the Saint Leo pool.
Last season's loss to the Mitchell girls made her team work harder, Land O'Lakes coach Robin Hilgenberg said.
"We always want to go undefeated," Hilgenberg said, "but last year when we did get beat the world didn't come to an end. It only upped the kids' work ethics. We just knew we had to be more focused at practice, because we know there's some competition out there."
After the tri-meet, Land O'Lakes takes on resurgent River Ridge Thursday before closing the regular season Oct. 12 at Mitchell.
"We know against River Ridge and Mitchell we have to focus and do the best we can do," Hilgenberg said. "We've got our two toughest meets in the last two weeks."
Not that Mitchell coach Regina Drum is overlooking struggling Ridgewood, who the Mustangs host today, but, like Hilgenberg, she also is looking ahead.
"The pressure's a little bit more intense, especially with our last meet against Land O'Lakes," Drum said.
Mitchell's boys have nearly matched Land O'Lakes with a 113-80 loss to River Ridge the only blemish on their 5-1 record. The Mustangs won just two races in that meet.
The Land O'Lakes boys hold the fastest times in nine of 12 events.
Among the top Gators are junior Tim Olson, who last season shared the Times All-County Boys Swimmer of the Year honor with 2005 Land O'Lakes graduate Adam Yanchunis. Olson is the county leader in the 200-yard freestyle, 200 individual medley, 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke, and is part of three leading relay teams: 200 medley, 200 free and 400 free.
Land O'Lakes' Dennis Diaz and Mitchell's Alecia Polina have held the highest diving scores most of this season. The seniors are favored to win Sunshine Athletic Conference titles in next week's meet at the Trinity YMCA pool.
In last year's conference meet, Polina was a runnerup and Diaz placed fifth.
[Last modified October 5, 2005, 01:14:17]
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