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February 15, 2004 WEBSTER, New York, February 16. Either Brian Possee woke
up in a good mood Saturday or he knew something that others didn’t.
Possee couldn’t wait to jump into the pool for the Section V Class A
Swimming and Diving Championships. His excitement increased when he joined
his Pittsford teammates for the bus ride to the Webster Aquatic Center.
“There was a lot of energy,’’ said Possee, a junior. “You just ride the
wave, keep positive, swim fast and encourage others.’’
Possee helped Pittsford make the biggest splash at the meet, as the Monroe
County Division I winners repeated as sectional champions.
The outstanding swimmer of the meet was Possee. He swept to wins in the
individual freestyle races before doing his part to help Pittsford’s
400-yard freestyle relay break a 20-year old meet record.
Possee lowered the 200 freestyle meet record to 1 minute, 40.46 seconds, an
automatic All-America time, to wipe away the 19-year old mark set by former
Fairport star Rick Aronberg.
“I knew I could do it,’’ said Possee, who also won the 500 freestyle race in
4:47.76. “My coaches supported me the whole way. They showed me the way to
win this.
“I’m in a good state mentally. I had to wait to put myself into the water to
see what would happen. I had a great season and we had a great team.”
Pittsford teammate Luke Weniger put himself on the list of the meet’s record
holders, too.
Weniger, a senior who will join national champion Auburn University next
school year, swam the fastest 100 butterfly ever in a Class A race (49.87
seconds). He is the reigning state champion in that event.
Weniger walked away with another individual sectional title after a
21.42-second finish in the 50 freestyle and teamed with Jeremy Amon, Zach
Whitman and Possee on Pittsford’s 400 free relay (3:11.30).
“The less I think, the better I feel,’’ Weniger said about big races. “I
wanted to take the fly (sectional) record today.
“It didn’t happen, but I’m still pleased with how I swam.’’
Pittsford swimmers weren’t the only ones claiming sectional titles and
adjusting the list of meet records.
Fairport junior Jeff Wood replaced ex-Red Raider Ryan Prosser’s 14-year old
meet mark in the 100 backstroke (52.33).
Wood’s day also included a runner-up finish in the 200 freestyle behind
Possee, plus sectional championships in the 200 medley and 200 freestyle
relays shared with Jon Roberts, Matt McGraw and Cyrus Salehi.
Roberts, a Fairport junior who has claimed or shared six state titles in two
full seasons, won the 100 breaststroke (56.94) and missed setting a state
record by .21 of a second.
“I wasn’t focused on individual goals because this isn’t my big meet of the
year,’’ said Roberts, also the runner-up in the 100 butterfly to Weniger.
“I couldn’t be more proud of how well my teammates swam today.’’
Penfield’s climb to the top of Section V continued.
The Patriots, Monroe County Division II champions, finished six points ahead
of perennial power Fairport for second-place in the team standings behind
Pittsford.
“It really shows how much we’ve gotten better,’’ said Penfield junior Jeremy
Chang, the Class A 200 individual medley champion. “I’ve come in second so
many times, it felt great to take the last step.
“Even my sister came in second a bunch of times. It’s really great for our
family to finally get up there on that first-place step.’’
--James Johnson
Originally published in the
Rochester Democrat and
Chronicle
Pertinent Links
2004 Sectionals
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