| |
|
by Brent Avery, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Syracuse - The result was the same, but the philosophies were entirely
different.
Fairport's 400-yard freestyle relay, standing on the winner's platform, was
the model of swimming - shaved heads, serious, determined looks.
A few hours earlier, Greece's 200-yard medley relay team had accepted
similar gold medals - but wearing floral Hawaiian shirts, Bermuda shorts and
$2.99 sunglasses.
"Everyone comes into this meet so serious, with the Mohawk (haircuts) and
everything," explained Greece's Mike Lane. "We thought we'd come here and
have some fun."
Enough fun to capture the first state title in the school's history
yesterday in the 25th New York State Public High School Athletic Association
swimming championships at Nottingham High School.
The relay victories - Fairport's was the third straight at the state meet -
were the first and last events in the four hour marathon before an overflow
crowd of almost 500...
...Greece and Fairport proved themselves as the dominating schools in the
relays, with times earning All-American consideration. But their appearances
after the races were 180 degrees apart.
Approaching the blocks for the medley, Greece seniors Larry Hassos, Rob
D'Allesandro, Troy Milne, and Lane showed the same seriousness Fairport's
Rob Arguelles, Todd Ryan, Bob Murray and [Rick] Aronberg showed in the
freestyle.
"We got into our huddle, did our Four Musketeers (handshake) and then swam,"
explained D'Allesandro. "It was just like any other meet."
Except that Greece trailed Liverpool of Section 3 Syracuse area) after two
legs, a deficit Milne erased with his leg.
"When I got up on the blocks, and saw we were behind at least a body length,
I didn't know if we could do it," said Milne, who placed second in the 50
freestyle and third in the 100 butterfly.
"I knew I could go 22.6 (seconds) and not too many people can do that. But
it's scary when you get up there and you're behind."
Milne swam a :22.68 split for the butterfly, to give Greece the lead, and
Hassos completed a :21.32 freestyle for a 1:37.76 finish, lopping three
seconds off the school record and setting a Monroe County League standard.
That's when the change came. For the first time this season, the foursome
donned its tacky tourist outfits for the awards ceremony, and wore them much
of the rest of the day.
"It's the way we look at the meet," D'Allesandro said. "We did it so that
people would take notice, maybe laugh at us a little bit. We came here to
have a good time. We came here to swim too, but it lessened the pressure a
bit."
Fairport, on the other hand, was business as usual. "We knew we would have a
hard time," Aronberg said after teaming with Arguelles, Ryan, and Murray for
a 3:12.7 clocking. "We're serious about this meet. That's not to say that
Greece doesn't take it seriously. It's just that we have a different
perspective on the race."...
...They (Greece) were dead serious during the race, but we have to use that
psych all the time," Ryan said. "We can't play the games. Rick plays the
games with swimmers from other teams during the season, but when we get to
the race it's all serious."
Originally published in the Democrat and Chronicle
Pertinent Links
1985 Team
Articles |
|
|
