Wharton High swimmers shine

The boys and girls won Federal Division titles at the Western Conference championships.

By TERRY JONES

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 22, 2000

Area high school swimmers held their own in some events and won others at the Western Conference championships last weekend at the Bobby Hicks pool in South Tampa.

Wharton's boys and girls teams won Federal Division titles. The Wildcat girls placed fifth in the overall conference competition and the boys were seventh.

Carrollwood resident Amy Mueller, an International Baccalaureate student at Hillsborough High, turned in the best individual performance by locals. The versatile junior won both the 500-freestyle and 200-yard individual medley events.

She also swam a leg in the third-place 200 medley relay and fourth-place 200 freestyle relay.

Other top three placers in girls overall competition included Gaither's Jackie Cavalieri, second in the 100 breaststroke and third in the 200 individual medley; Chamberlain's Katie Pippinger, first in the 100 backstroke; Sickles' Kelley Jones, third in the 50 freestyle; and Wharton's Kelly Keraney, second in the 100 butterfly, and teammate Michelle Scott, third in the 100 backstroke.

Adam Szabunio of Wharton and Ryan Wasieleski of Gaither took conference honors. Szabunio won the 100 backstroke and placed second in the 200 individual medley, and Wasieleski was first in the 100 freestyle.

Chamberlain's Nelson Grant was second in the 500 freestyle and third in the 300 freestyle. Gaither's Geoff Irby was second in the 100 butterfly and the 200 individual medley, and Wharton's Eric Gandy placed second in the 1 meter diving.

"Many of our swimmers turned in their personal best times in doing so well in the conference meet," Wharton coach Marcie Scholl said. "It really was a team effort for the kids to do so well. Even many of the parents were in the hot sun all day helping as time keepers."

Following are the results from the Federal Division, which includes Wharton, Sickles, Gaither and Chamberlain high schools.

Girls

200 freestyle -- 2. D. Cutler (Wh), 3. J. Smith (Sic);

200 IM -- 1. J. Cavalieri (Ga), 2. E. Heise (Wh)

50 freestyle -- 1. K. Jones (Sic), 2. D. Cutler (Wh);

1 meter diving -- 1. Norisse Tellman (Ga), 2. Jennifer Noah (Ga), 3. Shannon Kennedy (Wh)

100 freestyle -- 1. Sarah Whitmore (Ga), 2. Cathy Markley ((Wh), 3. Natalie Phelan (Sic)

200 freestyle relay -- 1. Sickles: K. Jones, J. Smith, J. Fransen, A. Cook, 3. Gaither: K. Griffin, S. Whitmore, J. Horne, J. Cavalieri.

500 freestyle girls -- 2. Jennifer Fransen (Sic), 3. M. Scott (Wh);

100 backstroke -- 1. Katie Pippinger (Ch), 2. M. Scott (Wh).

100 breaststroke -- 1. J. Cavalieri (Ga), 3. J. Fransen (Sic);

400 freestyle relay -- 1. Wharton: E. Heise, M. Scott, D. Cutler, K. Keraney;b

100 butterfly -- 1. K. Keraney (Wh), 2. A. Cook (Sic);

Boys

200 medley -- 1. Gaither: Ryan Wasieleski, Ryan Brown, Geoff Irby, Aaron Wise; 2. Wharton: Adam and Philip Szabunio, Brian Wilcher, Nick Mason; 3. Chamberlain: Grant Nelson, Bryce Flynn, Andrew Proses, Andy Smith.

200 freestyle -- 1. G. Nelson (Ch), 3. B. Wilcher (Wh);

200 IM -- 1. G. Irby (Ga), 2. A. Szabunio (Wh), 3. C. Smith (Ch);

50 freestyle -- 2. R. Wasieleski (Ga), 3. B. Moore (Sic);

1 meter diving -- 1. Eric Scholl (Wh), 2. Eric Emerson (Sic), 3. Elias Barcelos (Ga)

100 butterfly -- 1. G. Irby (Ch), 3. A. Proses (Ch);

100 freestyle -- 1. R. Wasieleski (Ga), 3. Bob Moore (Sic).

500 freestyle -- 1. G. Nelson (Ch), 2. Matt Bray (Ch);

200 freestyle relay -- 2. Sickles: Ted Epperson, Jay Peverall, C. Smith, B. Moore, 3. Chamberlain: M. Bray, Jurgen Smit, Jon Pykes, Andy Smit.

100 backstroke -- 1. A. Szabunio (Wh), 2. Jon Bush (Sic), 3. T. Epperson (Sic);

100 breaststroke -- 1. C. Smith (Sic), 3. R. Brown (Ga);

400 freestyle relay -- 2. Wharton: B. Wilcher, P. and A. Szabunio, N. Mason, 3. Chamberlain: M. Bray, A. Proses, J. Smit, G. Nelson.

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