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Wildcats girls earn county first

Wesley Chapel takes a district title, and the Land O'Lakes boys defend theirs.

By STEVE LEE
Published October 26, 2005

WESLEY CHAPEL - As each team cheered for its announced score after Friday's Class 2A, District 5 meet, Wesley Chapel swimmers nervously awaited their total.

Had the Wildcats been forgotten? wondered first-year coach Lisa Whidden.

"I was like, "Why aren't they announcing our team?' " Whidden said. "Then I realized, "Oh my God. We're in first.' "

For the first time in county history, a girls team had won a district title. At that same meet, the Land O'Lakes boys became the county's first to defend a district crown.

"All those mornings of having to start practice at 5:30 paid off," Whidden said of the Wildcats' early sessions at the Seven Oaks clubhouse pool.

Although Wesley Chapel has strong relay teams featuring returners Alicia Thompson, Alyssa Bobo, Shelby Oliver and Misty Webster, the roster lists just eight girls. But having the fewest girls in the county could not prevent Wesley Chapel from its ultimate team goal.

"Wesley Chapel's come a long way since I started out my freshman year," said Thompson, a junior who won the 50-yard freestyle and swam the first leg of the winning 200 medley relay team.

"They were just excited to even win, because they didn't place in the top five," Whidden said of her top four swimmers' performance in previous district meets. "It helps out that we won that 200 medley relay."

A runner-up finish in the 200 free relay, with Samantha Friese replacing Bobo in the previously mentioned foursome, also helped.

Wesley Chapel edged River Ridge 184-183 Friday in a district meet featuring teams from Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties.

Most county teams have gone up against powerhouses from neighboring Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Previously, the county's best girls teams at districts were Gulf, third in 2003, and last year's Mitchell squad that was a runner-up.

"I really thought River Ridge was going to take conference and district," Gulf coach Linda Cassidy said, alluding to the Royal Knights' runner-up finishes in the Sunshine Athletic Conference and district meets.

"I'm very glad (the Wildcats) made it," Cassidy continued. "I wish that we had been in this district when I had my strong team. It's the luck of the draw."

As for the boys 2A-5 meet, Land O'Lakes handily defended its title with 308 points, well ahead of River Ridge's 203. That makes three boys district titles for the county, including Pasco's in 2002.

Land O'Lakes coach Barbara Hayes lauded her team for repeating. She also had kind words for Wesley Chapel's achievement.

"Lisa had done a nice job," Hayes said, adding that two county teams winning district titles in the same meet "says really good things about swimming. It's just nice to see the sport growing."

[Last modified October 26, 2005, 00:45:19]