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Freestyle swimmer Chris Pugliese will settle for nothing less than a trip to the state meet.
By STEVE LEE
© St. Petersburg Times, published November 8, 2001
HUDSON -- Chris Pugliese had no intention of swimming in high school before his friend, Jeff Smolinski, talked him into it when both were freshmen.
Now, Pugliese is a contender to place among the top three in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle races and lead Hudson to the Class 2A, District 5 championship Friday at the Long Center in Clearwater.
"This is the year I want to go to states," Pugliese said. "I've been working for states since my freshman year.
"That's all I really want to do is make states."
Pugliese, who went unbeaten in the 100 free during the regular season and lost once in the 50 free -- by less than a second to Pasco's Brett Clark -- won both of those events in the Sunshine Athletic Conference meet.
He has the fastest times in the county in both races this year -- 24.22 in the 500 free and 54.22 in the 100 free.
To prepare himself for a meet, Pugliese peruses the sheets of personal statistics he has compiled in his four seasons of competition.
"I always look at them before big meets," he said. "It just makes me want to swim faster."
Pugliese is not the only contender to place among the top three at the district meet.
Teammates Joe Deliberte, Ben Jones, Craig Bialkoski, Richard Downey, Smolinski and divers Chris Gilio and Greg Montmarquet helped Hudson's boys go 8-0 this season.
Hudson, Ridgewood and Land O'Lakes are legitimate contenders to win a district title.
"In Pasco, that would get the sport noticed and help with more kids coming out for swimming," said Nickol White, who has coached Hudson since the team's inception in 1997.
"We have a lot of good boys swimmers this year."
Other coaches agree.
"Their boys are coming along," said Land O'Lakes coach Glenna Chamberlain, whose boys' lone defeat was to Hudson.
"(Land O'Lakes assistant coach Barbara Hayes) is really good about watching times and she knew there'd be some stars there."
Ridgewood's boys had two losses this season, one to Land O'Lakes and another to Hudson.
"If we won (certain events), they took seconds, thirds and fourths," Ridgewood coach Sue Vien said of competing against Hudson. "They have talent and they have a lot of depth."
Two-time state champion backstroker Amanda Paulo leads the Hudson girls and should have no problem advancing to the state meet.
Other Cobras with a shot at joining Paulo at the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 15 are Elizabeth Badgett and Jessica Camis.