Pittsford Swimmers top Fairport in Sectionals
    February 16, 2003

By Craig Potter/Messenger Post Staff

The Pittsford 400 freestyle relay team capped a successful afternoon of swimming for the Panthers as they edged Fairport to win the Section 5 Class A swimming and diving championship Saturday at the Webster Aquatic Center.

"What can you say? It's Section 5 and it's the best swimming in the state, " said Pittsford coach Mark Morris. "It's a great rivalry. There are a number of great rivalries in this section. "

The final relay team of Brian Possee, Jeremy Amon, Zach Whitman and Luke Weniger finished first to secure the team title for the Panthers with 400 points to 395 for Fairport.

The meet came down to the 400 free relay. Fairport held first with 367 points to Pittsford's 360. The Raider team came in fifth.

Penfield finished third with 288 points followed by Webster (279), Greece Athena/Odyssey (234), Brockport (143), Gates Chili (132), Greece Arcadia/Olympia (129), Churchville-Chili (128), and Rush-Henrietta (57).

Fairport sophomore Jon Roberts set two Class A records and earned All-America in two events and was rewarded with the Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet award.

"I'm excited, " said Roberts. "It's a successful day. Pittsford came out on top but state is another chance. I swam just where I wanted to be, so I'm happy.

"I've been looking at those all year and those have been some of my goals, and I got them so I'm very happy about that. Competition always helps. It definitely pushes you, makes you go faster. That's why I'm looking forward to states for even more competition. "

Roberts will be making a return trip in the same events he competed in at states last year as a freshman as he earned All-American honors after a setting a Class A record in the 100 breast in 56.81 seconds. He also set a record in the 200 IM in 1:53.25.

Penfield coach Rick Schmitt was named the Coach of the Year for Class A.

"That was a bit of a surprise, " Schmitt said of the award. "We had a really good year. I think that's a reflection of what the guys have done all year. It was a nice honor."

Class A will be well represented at the state meet in Buffalo on Feb. 28-March 1. Every event has these multiple representatives going to state:

Fairport won the 200 medley relay in 1:35.59 as the team of Jim Wood, Roberts, Jeff Wood and Andy Amyot. The Penfield team of Jerry VanStrydonck, Jeremy Chang, Ben Monti and Hal Grossman also qualified.

Jeff Wood captured the 200 free in 1:42.44 and will be joined by Possee and Amon, Chris Ekimoff of Webster and Dan Freeland of Greece Athena/Odyssey.

All eight finalists in the 200 IM qualified as Roberts leads the way followed by Raider teammates Jim Wood and Matt McGraw, along with VanStrydonck, Chang, Whitman and Mike Hurst of Greece Athena/Odyssey.

Amyot placed first in the 50 free in 21.58 seconds, to be joined by Steve Nims of Webster, Weniger, Lazio-Maimone, Grossman, and Ryan Payne of Greece Athena/Odyssey.

In the 100 butterfly, Weniger won in 51.28 second, follow by Amyot and Whitman.

Nims won the 100 free in 47.23 seconds to lead the field of Grossman, Amon, Payne, Clint Sugnet of Penfield, and Dave Harris of Greece Arcadia/Odyssey. Jeff Wood captured the 500 free in 4:38.83 and he will be joined by Ekimoff and Possee.

Fairport and Pittsford both earned All-America honors in the 200 free relay. The Raider team consisted of Roberts, Jeff Wood, Cyrus Salehi, and Amyot as they won in 1:26.51.

Freeland placed first in the 100 back in 53.34 seconds. Jim Wood, McGraw, VanStrydonck, Fairport's Jeff Kaemmerlen, and Churchville-Chili's Chad Powley also qualified.

In the 100 breast, Roberts leads the field of Chang, John Arington of Pittsford, Kevin Palumbo of Greece Arcadia/Olympia, and Andrew Sando of Webster.

The Pittsford 400 free relay won followed by Penfield (Sugnet, Monti, VanStrydonck, and Grossman), Webster (Ekimoff, Steve Segerlin, Kevin Weishaar, and Nims), and Greece Athena/Odyssey (Kevin Schuster, Freeland, Hurst, and Payne).

 

Originally published in the Brighton-Pittsford Post

 

    
     

2003