Talented swimmers, runners remain in title hunts
While only the regional winners are guaranteed spots in the state swimming competition, others may qualify based on their times.
By TERRY JONES
Published November 3, 2006
With the exception of football, which is still in regular-season play, only swimming and cross-country teams from north Hillsborough County continue in postseason competition.
Only the event winners in last Saturday's Class 3A and 2A regional meets were guaranteed a berth in the state swimming championships, which are currently going on through Saturday in Fort Lauderdale.
Although few area swimmers won their events, others could be selected at large, based on the lowest times in each event from swimmers around the state.
Boys swimming
In the Class 2A, Region 3 meet, Leto senior Jorge Ospina-Casas won both the 200 freestyle and the 100 butterfly.
His time of 1 minute, 46.03 seconds is about seven seconds from the 200 freestyle state record of 1:39.81. The national record is 1:34.96.
The state record in the 100 butterfly is 47.60 and nationally it is 47.10. He wants to challenge both. His regional time of 52.68 could drop with the intense competition at state.
Also in 2A, 3, Freedom senior Matthew Szabunio won the 50 freestyle with a time of 20.22 seconds. He could challenge for an individual title or a high finish.
He also placed second in the 100 freestyle with a 49.24 second time. That may get him in the event with an at-large selection.
Girls swimming
Sickles junior sprinter Veronica Case was the only individual swimmer in Class 3A, Region 2 for north Hillsborough schools to win an event. She won the 50 freestyle in 25.14 seconds.
In team scoring, the Sickles girls placed fifth with 179 points and the Wharton girls were 10th with 83.
Competing in the same region, Sickles boys also placed fifth with 169 points and the Wharton boys were ninth with 85.
Girls cross country
Gaither's Katie Quick won the Class 4A, District 4 cross-country meet last Saturday in 19 minutes, 19 seconds in the 5K run. The Cowboys finished fourth in team competition with 97 points.
Although Sickles placed third in team results with 83 points, the fastest individual time was Angela Hegge, with 20:34. She finished sixth in the individual race.
Wharton's girls won the Class 3A, District 3 race with 34 points. Wildcats juniors Katrina and Kathia Skinner paced the Sickles Gryphons, finishing first and third, respectively. The winning time was 19:54 by Katrina. Adding points were Erin Baily (seventh), Lauren Galbraith (11th) and Brittany Hilliker (12th).
Boys cross country
Sickles and Wharton won team titles in the boys competition.
Derek Wehunt, Daniel Wehunt and Ciprian Mejia placed one-two-three, respectively, to lead the Gryphons to the Class 4A, 4 district championship with 33 points.
Kyle Kraft finished 11th and Sean Jansen 16th to complete Sickles' scoring.
Wharton won the boys 3A, 3 district title with 51 points.
Pedro Carela set the pace for the Wildcats with a third-place finish. Baker Burchfield was fifth, followed by David Vasquez (seventh), Corey Murray (11th) and Tyler Ritter (21st).