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CAT displays pool prowess

By EMERY SKOLFIELD
Published October 29, 2006

The Clearwater Aquatic Team boasted four age group high-point winners and finished fourth among 25 teams at the WFLA Halloween Invitational Oct. 13-15 at the Southwest Recreation Complex in Largo.

CAT's effort was highlighted by the eight-victory performance of 10-year-old Alex Katz. Katz won the backstroke, butterfly and freestyle at two distances 50, 100 yards and added wins in the 200 freestyle and 200 IM on his way to 105 points, more than any other swimmer at the meet.

If Katz was his own team, he would have placed 12th among 21 boys squads. Teammate David Morgan (12) wasn't far behind, winning seven events - the 100, 200 and 500 freestyles, 100 butterfly, 100 IM, 200 IM and 400 IM - to amass 103 points for CAT.

Clearwater Aquatic 8-year-old Macy Marshburn won four events (25, 50 backstrokes and 25, 50 breaststrokes) to earn high-point honors in the 8-under girls division. Taylor Katz (12) won two events to capture the high-point total in the 11-12 girls division.

Summer Finke of St. Petersburg Aquatics won the 50 freestyle and 50 backstroke and was second in the 100 and 200 freestyles to finish second among 10-under girls at the Halloween Invite. Kaylan Marckese was third in three events in the 8-under girls division.

Patrick Rinard (13-14 boys) placed second in the 50 freestyle and third in the 100 butterfly.

Carrie Cramer (11-12) of host team West Florida Lightning Aquatics garnered her first Junior Olympic qualifying time in the 50 fly with a mark of 31.75 seconds. For the WFLA boys, Daniel Pliss was third in the 10-under 100 breaststroke.

GYMNASTICS: LaFleur's of Largo won team titles at Level 4 and Level 5 at the Harvest Moon Invite, held Oct. 21-22 in Altamonte Springs.

In Level 4, Kylie Halbert recorded the highest all-around score of the meet (38.025) to finish ahead of teammate Natalie Morrison. Halbert notched victories in the vault, bars and beam. Other Level 4 age group all-around winners were: Couper Tanko, who won the vault, bars and floor, Chelsea Davis, Hannah Foster, Ashley Seidl and Madeline Cappelli.

LaFleur's Level 5 team was spearheaded by Rachel Whisenant, Megan Schell and Brenna Kirk, each of whom won two events en route to age group all-around titles.

- LaFleur's also competed at the Gasparilla Fall Invitational on Oct. 14-15 in Tampa. Maranda Adams won the floor exercise with a score of 9.625 and captured the all-around for LaFleur's victorious Level 4 team. Cappelli and Cassidy Marks each placed first on the vault, bars and floor en route to an all-around wins in their respective age divisions. Seidl won vault, bars, beam and all-around; Morrison won vault, beam and all-around.

In Level 5 competition, Brittney Borreson placed first in three disciplines (vault, beam and floor) for an all-around crown in her age group. Mikayla Bellardini and Rebeca Lizotte also captured all-around titles for LaFleur's.

- Sabrina West of Clearwater's Bayside Gymnastics won the beam and floor on her way to an all-around title in Level 5 competition at the Brandy Johnson Fall Festival in Clermont on Oct. 21-22. West's effort helped Bayside's Level 5 team to a fourth-place finish. Bayside's Tiffany Paxson was second on the bars and in the all-around.

In Level 4 action, Merina Casa did not win an individual event, but her consistency in the four disciplines was good enough for an all-around title. Gaylen Granby also won her age group all-around.

Other highlights were: Victoria Greco won the bars (9.25) and beam (9.45) en route to a second-place all-around showing (37.20); Brooke Blassingame placed first on the bars; Taylor Richardson was second in her age group all-around; Briana Fischer won the bars and floor and placed second in the all-around.

If you have youth sports news, please contact Times correspondent Emery Skolfield at (727) 481-2027 or sptimesyouth@yahoo.com.

[Last modified October 28, 2006, 19:43:56]