Strength and numbers for LOL

By STEVE LEE

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 24, 2001

LAND O'LAKES -- No team in the county was better than Land O'Lakes' unbeaten girls last season.

This year, there might not be a better combined team -- boys included -- in the county.

Hudson's girls went 8-1 to Land O'Lakes' 9-0 last year and Ridgewood's boys were 8-0 compared to Land O'Lakes' 8-1 mark.

But a turnout of 61 swimmers -- "I didn't cut anybody," second-year coach Glenna Chamberlin said -- and the return of state qualifiers Heather Anderson and Tara Patterson make the Gators favorites to unseat Hudson as the Sunshine Athletic Conference champion.

The Cobras still are led by state champion Amanda Paulo, but the girls lost several key swimmers to graduation.

River Ridge coach Athena Graham expected Land O'Lakes to win last year's SAC meet, but the Gators were runners-up.

"The numbers kill you," said Jim Yanchunis, a Wesley Chapel assistant the past two years. "I think the Land O'Lakes girls will be the team to beat. They'll probably go undefeated again."

Chamberlin is not worried about high expectations. Not yet, anyway.

"I don't think they're feeling (pressure) yet," she said, "but I'm kind of concerned about that.

"I was surprised," Chamberlin said of last year's unbeaten girls season. "Not because of what we had, but how well they worked together."

Anderson won the 100-yard freestyle in the conference meet and along with Patterson (who will compete in the 100 breaststroke and 50 free), Heather Gerkin (110 backstroke) and freshman Laura Hayes (back and free races) are among the Gators' best.

The leaders among the boys are Chris Pabst (200 individual medley) and Craig Hilgenberg (100 breast).

"We're pretty excited," Chamberlin said of herself and assistant Barbara Hayes. "Last year, we kind of got our feet wet.

"We understand that the season is the season, but it was at conference when everyone got really excited."

New meet

The inaugural North Suncoast Relay Meet is Sept. 7-8 at the New Port Richey pool with teams from Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties.

Gulf coach Linda Cassidy proposed the meet in place of the Swim Zone (held annually in St. Petersburg), which some North Suncoast teams used to participate in during the second weekend in September.

"We've been going down there every year and it's just too competitive for us," said Cassidy, adding that North Suncoast teams traditionally struggle against Pinellas County teams.

Cutting down on travel also factored into planning the new meet.

SWIMMING DISTRICTS

CLASS 2A, DISTRICT 5: Gulf, Hudson, Land O'Lakes, Mitchell, Ridgewood, River Ridge, Countryside, Dunedin, East Lake and Tarpon Springs.

CLASS 2A, DISTRICT 6: Zephyrhills, Armwood, Auburndale, Bartow, Brandon, East Bay, Haines City, Lake Gibson, Lake Region, Lake Wales, Lakeland Jenkins, Lakeland Kathleen and Winter Haven.

CLASS A, DISTRICT 5: Pasco, Wesley Chapel, Avon Park, Wauchula Hardee, Lake Placid, Lakeland Chr., Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic, Mulberry, Sebring and Winter Haven All Saints.

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