Swim News
October 17, 2007
Judge Memorial Swimming Set to go Oct 25th!
By Larry Kozlowski III
Salt Lake Herald-Beacon
SALT LAKE CITY— The vaunted and much-ballyhooed Judge Memorial swimming teams are all set to kick off a new season on October 25th against the Kearns Cougars, a traditional 5A powerhouse.
The meet is set fto start at 3:30pm at the Kearns Aquatic Center.
The Scarlet Heroes of Yore have been voted as the Poco Loco pre-season favorite to defend their State title for the sixth consecutive year. However, with a strong field coming from both the Park City and Logan programs, it is shaping up to be a dogfight for top honors.
"We know what's at stake and we know how great the other programs have gotten since last season," said Team Captain Kaitlyn Kelley. "In the end, we just have to trust that by working hard and pushing ourselves to the limits, that will improve our chances of a repeat. We shall see."
As for the boys team, they were rated 4th in the pre-season polls by Poco Loco and look to build upon last year's campaign. The backbone of the team comes from underclassmen, but make no mistake who the Big Gun is on this team : Chris Gibbs. Perhaps one of the fastest 100 and 200 freestylers in the state (at any level), Gibbs will be vying for double gold in his two favorite events, not to mention possible team and state record implications.
"I'm working hard and going for it right now. If I stay healthy who knows?" Gibbs said after a recent practice. "As for the team, we're looking okay. As it stands, it's wide open with Ogden the likely favorite. If we can get some kids to step up and perform well, it'll be a great year."
Stay tuned! and bring plenty of scarlet & gold with you to Kearns to show your support!
Posted by Matt Finnegan at 12:59pm | Link
December 18, 2006
2nd Annual Judge Holiday Classic Invitational
The Women
FESTIVE DOGS BREEZE AT HOLIDAY CLASSIC
Bulldogs Swim Away to Victory
By Larry Kozlowski, Salt Lake Herald-Beacon
SUGARHOUSE˜Though on the surface there may have
appeared to be some tense moments for the Judge
Memorial women's squad after the conclusion of Friday
night's events at the 2nd Annual Judge Memorial
Holiday Classic, team captain Rebecca Kestle swears
the team was as loose as its been all season. That's
because the team was down a mere 2 points to the
Timpview Tigers after the conclusion of the 50
freestyle. Kestle and her teammates knew the worst was
behind them, seeing as how Timpview's power is usually
dealt by dispensing its sheer speed on the first day
of the meet˜the 200 free, 200 I.M. and 50 free, not to
mention their formidable 200 medley relay. But time
and time again, Judge answered the call, using it's
depth in those events to stay virtually even.
In front of a raucous capacity home crowd for the
first time all season, the Scarlet Heroes of Yore came
up big on Saturday, eventually outdistancing
powerhouse Timpview by more than 50 points (396-340),
as well as demolishing east bench neighbor and rival
East by nearly 150 points in winning their second
straight Holiday Classic title. They also kept their
season-long Invitational streak alive by winning every
Invite meet they've attended (the streak actually goes
back to 2002).
"As a team, we knew if we stayed close we had 'em
right where we wanted them," Kestle said later.
"Friday was so key for us, but we knew Saturday housed
our strongest events. If we did what we were expected
to do, we knew we had as good a chance to win this one
as anyone."
That may be due in part, to the fact that virtually no
team can match Judge pound for pound when it comes to
the 100 fly, 500 free and 100 breast, where the squad
has ample speed and depth throughout. Even then,
Timpview, who is the defending 4A Champion and is
favored to repeat this season, has its share of fast
swimmers in those events. The two teams essentially
mirror each other in talent and depth, as was the case
when they faced each other back in October in a duel
meet, which Timpview won by a mere 4 points. In the
end, this dogfight came down to good old fashioned
racing. And the Bulldogs were ready.
The Scarlets had a bevy of explosive swims one after
another; from sprint queen Kaitlyn Kelley's harrowing
100 free (59.84, third place) to spiritual leader
Colleen Grogan's tenacious 500 free (5:51.26, 6th).
The 100 breast˜which was seen as the weakest link for
last year's team˜has steadfastly become the strongest
for this this year's squad. Alex Carter lead the way
with a blazing 1:10.37. Carolyn Carter captured 3rd
(1:15.25), while her sister, Kenzie Carter, touched
4th (1:15.38). Megan Bush (9th, 1:19.50) and Becky
Jackson (12th, 1:21.00) rounded out the top 16. It
would be the most dominating field of swimmers from
one team in any event for the meet.
Perhaps the most electrifying race on the day came
from the squad's 200 free relay, which was seeded a
modest 4th going into Saturday, but came out smoking.
The relay comprised of the rookies, Carolyn and Kenzie
Carter, as well as the venerable veterans Kelley and
Grogan. Carolyn had a spirited leadoff, clocking in at
27.83 to keep the team within biting distance of the
two leaders, Timpview and East. Kelley exploded on the
second leg splitting an amazing 26.90, while breezing
past the East and Timpview swimmers. That set up
Kenzie Carter quite well as she held on to a close
race with a 27.10 split. Grogan brought the house down
with the fastest split on the day˜for any relay˜by
clocking out at 26.16, a phenomenal swim for someone
who's supposedly a "distance swimmer". Judge took 2.7
seconds off their previous best for the season,
touching in at 1:47.99. Timpview was so shellshocked
by the turn of events that they ended up touching
third, behind East.
"I could just feel the energy of the crowd in that
situation and I just went," a smiling Grogan said. "It
was awesome to win that race. After that, we were so
pumped. It was like we knew we were going to win the
meet. An awesome, awesome race."
At the time, the Tigers had swept every relay versus
Judge this season, dating back to the first meet of
the season in Logan, as well as the duel in Provo. So
naturally, the victory made this one all the more
sweeter for the team. All that remained was finishing
out the 100 back, where Kestle took 2nd in a lifetime
best 1:05.78. Savvy senior Beth Peterson placed 10th
(1:11.66), while rookie Victoria Luman (13th 1:12.65)
and Liz Holloway (17th 1:15.08) finished out the top
18. All the backstrokers achieved either life time or
season best swims. After Judge dominated the breast
stroke races, that essentially finished off any chance
Timpview had of snagging away with a victory.
In all, it was a huge win for the Bulldogs as they
measured their prowess against 4A's very best. "This
was playoff atmosphere right here," claimed team
captain Kelsey Elizondo, who set the tone early by
claiming Judge's first win for the meet (200 free,
2:01.77). "Timpview and East tend to bring out the
best in us and we were ready. But we're not finished
yet; not by a long shot. There's still a lot of work
to do. We want to sweep the relays at State, so we'll
be working on that to be sure."
Any wonder how this squad keeps its winning tradition
alive?
The Men
FUTURE LOOKS CLASSIC
Judge Memorial Shaping Up Nicely
By Larry Kozlowski, Salt Lake Herald-Beacon
SUGARHOUSE˜This may not be "vintage Judge Memorial
Boys Swimming" if you were to base it on the last few
very successful seasons, but from the looks of it,
this young squad is shaping up to be something to
reckon with in the future. The rebuilding effort
appears to be on solid footing.
The boys fought, clawed and scratched to a seventh
place finish against a formidable field of teams that
will be playing huge rolls in their respective State
Championship quests, including Bingham, Springville
and East. Even more intriguing is the fact that Judge
finished a mere 37 points behind 3A counterpart
Wasatch (5th place overall), a team nearly twice its
size.
Things started off swimmingly when the 200 medley team
of Willis Schafer, Will Voytovich, Pat Grogan and Will
Bowers bettered the previous season best time by 3
seconds (2:02.15). Then, junior star and team captain
Chris Gibbs swam to a 4th place finish, going 1:55.13,
with freestyler cohort Eric White touching in at a
lifetime best 2:04.24, good for 12th. What's more,
rookies Emerson Eshleman and Thomas Hanlon showed
spark by bettered their times by 6 seconds and 20
seconds, respectively, an astounding feat in a sport
that measures most improvements in tenths of seconds.
Understandably, the squad was fired up by the barrage
of good swimming. Gibbs, for one, was very impressed.
"Who knows, when all is said and done, we might have a
couple more kids in the two (hundred free) at State if
the improvements keep coming. We'll need them."
The 200 I.M. was nearly as encouraging as rookie
superstar Oliver Diamond continued to impress Judge
fans everywhere. He finished 7th in the medley,
bettering his time by over a second in the process.
There are still some huge holes to fill, namely the
fly and breast events, but even then, there were some
inroads made as Eshleman bettered his fly time
(1:17.23, 24th place) by over a second and senior
"morning guy" Tyler Firmage stroked to a 3 second
improvement by going 1:17.02 in the breast.
But in the events where Judge appears to be shoring up
their depth, it might be rather surprising to teams
seeking to pummel a young, vulnerable squad that this
young team of speedsters can hold its own. In the 100
free, for instance, Judge actually outscored every
team entered in the meet, placing 2nd (Gibbs, 52.25),
4th (Diamond, 53.13) and 15th (rookie Harrison Carter,
57.65). Junior newcomer Kelly Gee was also on the
move, swimming to a lifetime best 1:01.64.
The 500 free is another event that has been creating
some buzz and astounding the Faithful. White swam to a
season best 5:31.27, which placed him 8th; that was to
be expected given his record in the event. But what
got people in the stands and on the pool deck excited
was the rookie pair of Will Voytovich and Hanlon, who
made huge strides in the race. Voytovich swam to a
6:07.55, wiping away nearly 25 seconds from his
previous best time, swum a mere week and a half prior.
The finish was good enough to put points on the board
for Judge as he got 14th overall. Hanlon was right
behind, placing 15th (and also earning points), going
6:19.72, a lifetime best by over 10 seconds.
The relays looked solid as the 200 free relay of
Gibbs, Diamond, Carter and White finished 6th and
bested their previous time by two tenths. The 400 free
relay, comprised of the same four, was even better as
they placed 5th, lopping nearly 3 seconds off their
season best time.
"It's starting to come together for us," Diamond
reasoned as he stood before a swath of reporters in
the press room. "We're beginning to gel. We're
definitely looking at wanting to go Top 5 at State so
we have our work cut out for us. Hopefully we'll all
just keep improving and do it. It's been fun so far."
The coaching staff figures if they can plug some of
the holes with more unexpected swims from the
youngsters, then this group will be a strong presence
for many years to come.
Larry Kozlowski is a world renowned sportswriter for
the Salt Lake Herald-Beacon. His latest novel,
"Firmage Boys: Bedhead Blues; the Life and Times of
Fine Young Men Who Can't Seem to Get Themselves Up
Very Early", has sold three books. Look for it at Stop
Shop Gas Stations everywhere!
Posted by Mattie Reed at 2:41pm | Link
November 21, 2006
PC Invite
The Women
Scarlet Fever hits PC Invite
Judge Memorial Takes 3rd Straight PCI Title
By Larry Kozlowski (for the Salt Lake Herald-Beacon)
PARK CITY˜For the third straight year, Judge
Memorial's powerful Women's Swim Team displayed sheer
dominance over a formidable field at the Park City
Invite and in the process likely disheartened the home
crowd, who had presumably come to see how Park City's
alleged Title-worthy squad would fare against their
bitter rivals from Salt Lake City. As the saying goes,
"maybe next year"?
The fiery squad known as the Scarlet Heroes of Yore
ended up sweeping through the PCI by nearly 200 points
over their Region X counterparts, thumping the Miners
for the second time this season (the other instance
being the Region X Duels two weeks prior). 3A rival
Logan, whom many pundits picked to vie for the State
Title this season, placed a distant 4th, though they
accounted for a few of the top swims on the day. But
the JM juggernaut's wealth of depth was simply too
much for the field of 14 teams to bear on this day as
the Scarlets pummeled the competition with a plethora
of sound races top to bottom at every turn. The
Bulldogs won 4 of the 11 events, but more importantly,
placed three swimmers in the Top 8 in every event. The
relays also looked stronger than they have at any
point this season, as JM took the 200 medley, placed
second in the 4 x 100 (by a mere 2 tenths of a second
by Logan), and third in the 200 free relay. The "B"
and "C" relays both placed in the Top 8 in the 4 x 100
relay, and the "B" team fared well in the medley
(placing 6th, ahead of 10 "A" relays from other
teams).
Junior sensation Alex Carter won both of her
individual events (200 I.M. and 100 breast) and
pitched in to help the medley relay win in a 3A season
best time of 1:57.32, nearly a second faster than Park
City's 2nd place finishing team.
Co-team captain Kelsey Elizondo did her part to get
the team rolling early, swimming the fly leg of the
victorious medley relay and then swimming to a third
place finish in the 200 free. She also won the 100 fly
handily with a time of 1:01.63,. Elizondo owns the two
fastest times in the event on the season.
Other notable swims were logged by co-Team Captain
Rebecca Kestle in the 200 free and 100 back, swimming
both to personal best times. She finished 5th in the
200 free and 3rd in the 100 back after leading the
field in the latter at the 75 mark. "I just need to
work on finishing that race," Kestle noted in the
press room after the meet. "If I can manage that, who
knows?"
As has become common over the years, some young,
energetic rookies stepped up in helping the squad
secure its vaunted dominance. Victoria Luman is fast
becoming a household name in Utah swimming circles as
she swept to a big race in the 500 free, clocking in
at 5:56.34, good for 4th place (and over 6 seconds
better than her previous lifetime best). She also swam
the 100 back in a personal best record time of 1:12.72
which was good for 13th. "I think I can really improve
on that swim," the vivacious rookie said in reference
to the 100 back. "I can probably end up going 1:07,
1:08 if I play my cards right and keep working hard.
But I'm really excited about breaking 6 minutes in the
five. Wait 'til my friends hear about it!"
And then there were the "twin terrors", Carolyn and
Mckenzie Carter, who are suddenly becoming fan
favorites (even to the Park City-ites) with their
exciting brand of racing and energy. Carolyn placed
7th in the 50 free and 3rd in the 100 breast, while
Kenzie touched in at 7th in the 100 free and 4th in
the 100 breast. Both played a big part in the relays.
"They are really a lot of fun to watch when they
race," their veteran sister Alex mentioned. "I know I
really appreciate having them here... They just add
another dimension to our team."
There were many solid swims posted throughout the
two-day affair that were integral to the Bulldogs'
victory parade, including a beauty of a race posted by
junior rising star, Kaitlyn Kelley in the 100 free
(4th place finish), along with a spirited 50 free,
good for 6th. Colleen Grogan (200 free-7th, 500
free-5th), Garam Kim (200 I.M., 100 free), Kate
McMinimee (100 fly, 100 free) and Melissa Nichols (200
I.M., 100 fly) all contributed heavily to the barrage
of depth that other teams simply could not answer. And
despite a severely sprained ankle caused by a diving
practice accident, tough-as-nails sophomore Jade
Lubeck swam a couple of inspiring races (200 I.M., 100
fly) along with some integral relay legs. "I thought
it was kinda rough out there to tell you the truth,"
she said with a pack of ice coddling her tender foot.
"But I just felt the team needed me there. This is a
big meet for us. So I swam my heart out. Now that I
can train again I'll be back to swimming fast, big
time," she promised.
There were many personal best times tabbed throughout
the meet at the Ecker Hill Aquatic Center. Rookie
freshman Hannah Fitzpatrick chopped an astounding 3
seconds off her 50 free (36.59) and another 3 seconds
off the 100 free (1:25.51). Cohort-in-the-pool Olivia
Shaughnessy lopped off over a second off her previous
best in the 50 free, clocking in at a 34.64. She too
fared well in the 100 free, logging in at 1:18.19 in
the 100 free and taking off nearly 2 and half seconds
off her previous best mark. Shaughnessy also swam a
leg in the 200 free relay ("C" team), helping that
team to a 15th place finish.
After a fairly successful and lively first half of the
season, Judge Memorial now turns its attention to the
Murray Quad meet that completes the November campaign.
Looming just on the horizon is the much anticipated
Judge Memorial Holiday Classic at Fairmont Aquatic
Center in mid December. "That's the meet we're tabbing
as crucial to our season," noted co-Team Captain
Colleen Grogan. "These meets here were more a
benchmark of where we're at and what we have as a
team. But that Holiday Classic meet will tell us
basically where we're going; what we can accomplish as
a team this year. And with family, alumni, fans all
going to be there in attendance, it will be electric.
We need to perform."
So far, so good.
The Men
Young Guns Coming of Age
By Larry Kozlowski (for the Salt Lake Herald-Beacon)
PARK CITY˜Though a seventh place finish is generally
nothing to get excited about when you're a member of
the Judge Memorial Men's swim team˜given the lore of
the past few years, anyway˜ it's clear this is a squad
on the rise and the seventh place finish at the Pack
City Invite is showing that. With just one senior on
the team and a slew of rookies, the team you
essentially see right now is the team Judge Memorial
will likely have next year, only a lot better if age
and experience are any indication. Let's just say,
many teams are already beginning to take note.
"They appear to be well on their way to reloading the
big gun," one coach noted. "To have a relay place
fourth, going that time, with two freshmen? Wow..."
The relay teams in particular are shaping up to be
major players come State Championship time. Between
the two freestyle relays, JM placed an encouraging 4th
in the 200 free relay and 6th in the 4 x 100, knocking
off huge chunks of time in the process. The band of
speedsters that includes Team Captain Chris Gibbs,
junior distancer Eric White and the two emerging
rookie stars, Oliver Diamond and Harry Carter, is
showing signs of gelling and with continued
improvement, may vie for a Top 3 placing come
February.
"It's a long season, so you never know," Gibbs said as
he wiped chlorinated water from his brow following the
4 x 100 relay. "Every meet we seem to be building on,
so we'll see. We just need consistency in practice."
Gibbs had quite a meet as has been the norm for this
swimming star all season. Gibbs collected a pair of
silvers in the 200 free (1:55.07) and the 500 free
(5:20.40), the latter accounting for a personal best
time. Though quietly going about being one of the most
dominant swimmers in 3A this year, he has been
experimenting somewhat with some of his races. "In the
2 yesterday, I wanted to take it out fast against
(Sammy) Bates," he explained. "I wanted to see what I
could do going head to head. I know that if I can take
it home, I can give him the race of his life. I'm not
afraid... I'm not going to back down. I just need to
bring it home." With a shrug of his shoulder, Gibbs
figured it was just a matter of improving his skills
in practice.
As for the breakouts in this meet, rookie Willis
Schafer made his presence known by touching in at a
1:09.91 in the 100 back, the first time he's ever swam
the race under the banner of Scarlet & Gold. That was
good enough to place him 18th, but perhaps more
importantly, put him in a position where he might have
a shot at swimming it at State. His sophomore
teammate, Will Bowers, placed 12th in the event
(1:07.49), taking more than 2 seconds off his previous
best time. Bowers also swam a dynamic 50 free, going
26.50. "I know I can go a lot faster... I just need to
hit my turn," Bowers reasoned.
Pat Grogan's return to the pool after a successful
football campaign has certainly been a welcoming one
to the team. Flawlessly picking up where he left off
last season, Grogan breezed to a 1:10.61 in the 100
fly, good for 18th place and nearly a personal best
time. "There's plenty more where that came from," the
fiery swimmer cautioned. Grogan, as you might recall,
posted the fastest 75 fly on the season last year.
This year, however, he plans to finish every race. "I
was just a wide-eyed rookie back then," he said with a
wry grin. "Now I know better. Now I know I'm good
enough to make State. I just have to work hard in
practice and make the intervals and stuff."
As for Diamond, he fared well in the 200 free,
breezing to a 2:00.72, good for 10th place. His 100
free was even better as he raced to a 7th place finish
for the Scarlet Heroes of Yore in 53.48. "I've only
been in the water a couple of weeks or so because of
soccer," Diamond said. "I think once I've really
trained this season I'm going to go under 50.0 for
sure."
Carter (not related to the Carter sisters) swam a pair
of personal bests in the freestyle, clocking in at
25.78 in the 50 free (16th place) and 57.82 in the 100
free (17th place), taking nearly a full second off in
that race. Though saddled with the flu for much of the
past two weeks, Carter has shown vast improvement in
his sprinting ability. Teammates figure he'll be a
integral player come Region X and State time. "If he
continues on this route, he'll be there in the end,"
predicted his mentor, Chris Gibbs.
Rounding out some of the more noteworthy swims on the
evening/afternoon for the rookies, the irrepressible
Emerson Eshleman lopped more than two seconds off his
200 free (2:24.33); Will Voytovich clobbered his
previous best time in the 200 I.M. by more than 5
seconds, checking in at 2:48.82; and Thomas Hanlon
swam to a 2:47.95 in his maiden voyage in the 200 I.M.
So too, junior newcomer Kelly Gee and lone senior
Tyler Firmage continue to show signs of life as they
pursue a chance to show their worth in helping a young
team in desperate need of depth. Firmage in
particular, looks impressive in the 50 freestyle.
"With all the morning practices I've logged thus far,
it's fairly obvious this is what's given me the tools
to swim the 50 under 27," Firmage said with a wide
grin. "What can I say, I love this sport!"
Larry Kozlowski is a sportswriter for the Salt Lake
Herald-Beacon. He has also written articles for West
Jordan's T-Ball 5th Place juggernaut, The Blue
Dinosaurs, on occasion. Look for Larry Kozlowski and
Tyler Firmage's riveting new dramatic masterpiece, "My
Morning Practices, My Persistent Absences" in the
upcoming Sundance Film Festival this January.
Posted by Mattie Reed at 10:13am | Link
November 7, 2006
Alex Carter Article
http://www.sltrib.com/jordan/ci_4592466
Posted by Mattie Reed at 8:25am | Link
October 24, 2006
Grizzly Invitational
The Women
Judge Wins Grizzly Invite in Auburn Tiger-like Fashion
By Larry Kozlowski, Salt Lake Herald-Beacon
LOGAN˜Though the vaunted Judge Memorial Women's Team
never came away with an individual victory at the 2nd
Annual Grizzly Invitational this past Saturday, they
did exert something else that has become all the more
evident over the past few seasons with this
program˜serious and fatal depth. In the end, the
Scarlet Heroes of Yore captured the one essential
victory that meant the most to this team heading into
the season opener˜winning the Grizzly Invite.
Despite the shutout in the individual events, Judge
still managed to outdistance 2nd place finisher and
defending 4A champion Timpview handily (303-278),
along with topping sworn arch rival Park City, the
hosting school Logan and perennial 5A power Weber.
Under a barrage of countless dependable swimmers
seemingly coming from every which way, the Bulldogs
placed no less than 3 swimmers in the Top 10 in every
event˜save the 100 back and 100 breast, when the
outcome in the standings was all but settled. The
relays clearly displayed the Judge Memorial depth at
its best, as each relay squad˜A, B and C˜placed in the
Top 10 (with the exception of the 4 x 100 relay where
Judge only had 2 teams competing), the only team to
pull off such an amazing feat all day. If anything, it
was an awesome display of the Scarlet Heroes' teamwork
and vitality; firepower at its best.
"It's certainly not something we're use to as a team
given our recent history," noted swimming star Kelsey
Elizondo in the postgame pressroom, all the while
icing her sore shoulder. "We usually take a few of the
races. But hey˜a win's a win. I like how we worked as
one cohesive unit; it's a good way to start the
season."
With the loss of outgoing graduating seniors Liz
Caravati, Ashley May and Maggie Nichols from last
year's spectacular squad, Judge Memorial turned to an
Auburn Tiger style of attack.
The University of Auburn Swim Team, if you don't know,
swept to an NCAA Championship title last year despite
never winning a race. The Tigers overcame that,
however, by simply having more good swimmers than any
other team; tenaciously placing 3 or 4 swimmers in the
Top 10 in every event, pummeling the competition with
depth no team could possibly match. On this lovely
Saturday morning (and afternoon), Judge Memorial
showed much the same mastery, turning in impressive
swim after impressive swim from a squad so deep they
have speed coming from every class.
"I think that's what I enjoyed most about this meet,"
said head coach Matt Finnigan. "Watching the freshmen
girls in their first prep meet. That's always neat to
see. It never gets old... We certainly have another
good class amongst us."
Indeed they do. At the Utah State University pool,
exceptional swims were logged by fellow rookies
Victoria Luman (10th place, 500 free; 11th place, 100
back, plus two Top 10 finishes in the 200 medley and
200 free relay), Erika Eisenman (13th 50 free; 16th
100 free coupled with a Top 10 finish in the 200
medley relay), Carolyn Carter (3 Top 8 relay finishes)
and Kenzie Carter (3 Top 8 relay finishes). So too,
Olivia Shaughnessy and Hannah Fitzpatrick (50 free,
100 free, respectively) showed poise under the
pressure of racing in the first meet of their young
lives.
Perhaps some of the most memorable swims on the day
were turned in by senior and Team Captain Rebecca
Kestle, who logged lifetime best times in the 200 free
(2:18.83, nearly 8 seconds faster than her previous
best in that event) and the 100 back (1:06.46, almost
a second faster than her State swim last February),
while placing 9th and 3rd in those events,
respectively. Kestle also pitched in her wares in
helping the 200 medley relay (including Alex Carter,
Kelsey Elizondo and Kaitlyn Kelley) to a silver medal
finish and a bronze in the 400 free relay, featuring
Erika Chrsitiansen, Colleen Grogan and Elizondo.
So too, sophomore speedster Garam Kim knocked off more
than 20 seconds off her previous best in the 500 free,
finishing in the time of 6:17.45, good for 8th place.
She also dazzled in the relays, helping the 200 free
"C" relay finish 9th (going a 26.78 leg, no less!) as
well as showing some grace and balance in a maiden
voyage swim in the 200 I.M. (2:38.13, good for 10th).
Many members of the squad have had only about a week
or two of training under their Speedo due to their
fall sports commitments which just wrapped up their
respective seasons. However, many of these two-sport
athletes contributed an infusion of dexterity to the
team, racing well under the circumstances. This
included impressive swims by tennis phenoms Beth
Peterson (50 free, 100 fly) and Elisa Schvaneveldt
(200 free, 100 free), cross country runners Kate
McMinimee (200 free, 100 free), Melissa Nichols (200
I.M., 100 breast) and Megan Bush (200 free, 500 free)
and volleyball spikers Carolyn and Kenzie Carter. All
are expected to be big players for the team this
season and will likely contend for State qualifying
births. It's a good thing too, for if Judge Memorial
expects to win the Auburn Tiger Way, they'll need all
the swimmers it can get.
The Men
Young Bulldog Men Have Uplifting Outing
By Larry Kozlowski, Salt Lake Herald-Beacon
LOGAN˜Chris Gibbs peered out over the tile-ladened
confounds of Logan's Utah State Aquatic Center and
barely recognized what was once the most feared team
along the Wasatch Front. "It's amazing how quickly it
transforms," he noted as he stretched and waited for
his first swim of the day, the 200-yard freestyle.
"One minute you're the young, wide-eyed freshmen with
all these seniors you look up to, and the next minute
you're˜". He never finished the sentence. He didn't
have to. It was written all over his face. Being the
eldest member of a very young squad, the junior
sensation readied himself non-chalantly for what would
turn out to be the team's best swim of the day,
placement-wise (3rd). It was as if he knew his young
teammates were paying particular attention to every
move he made; what it takes to be a successful prep
swimmer˜a man amongst children.
Gibbs had one parting comment to offer before he
veered towards the blocks to swim his race. "Look out
for us next year," he warned. "These freshmen of ours
are going to be something."
Indeed they will. What is most comforting to Scarlet
Heroes of Yore fans perhaps is the fact that this is
the first freshmen class to bode more than three
swimmers in an entire class. In fact, this freshmen
class has turned up 6 swimmers thus far; nearly double
what they have had the past 3 years. And rumor has it,
all six have the potential to carry on the legacy
built years ago by the Class of 2005, which had a
total of 9 swimmers, 8 of whom made State qualifying.
"This is actually the most freshmen we've had since
that amazing class," head coach Matt Finnigan said.
"And to think we'll only lose one swimmer from
graduation this year..." There's reason to be giddy on
1100 East & 6th South. For once, the numbers are in
Judge Memorial's favor as they struggle to reload
after possessing arguably one of the state's greatest
classes in Utah high school swimming history.
As it was, only three upperclassmen swam at the
Grizzly Invite this past weekend; the rest of the
squad of nine was comprised of five freshmen and one
sophomore. The results were somewhat expected. Though
the Bulldogs ended up placing 7th overall, it wasn't
so much where they placed that was of concern to the
coaches but how the team would respond with such a
young squad. "It was very encouraging when you
consider there were no senior boys present," first
year assistant Giulia Longo noted.
One standout was rookie Harry Carter, who swam a
spirited 200 free, his first ever. Carter ended up
registering a 2:10.70, good for 15th and two points on
the scoreboard. "With time and training on his side,
there's a good chance he'll make State if he continues
working hard," Longo said.
Another bright spot was fellow rookie Willis Schafer,
who swam the grueling 500 free, logging in a
respectable 6:35.60 (also a 15th place finish). "That
was a nice swim," Finnigan reasoned. "We had seniors
from last year's team that had a hard time going
6:30+, so to see a 14 year old doing it is nice to
see. He's definitely a keeper!"
Gibbs led the way for the team, following up his 200
free with a nice swim in the 500 free, placing 6th
with a 5:34. Along with fellow junior Eric White, they
rounded out some competitive relays that are expected
to only get better.
"We weren't at full strength today," White pointed
out. "When we are, we should be much more formidable."
White was probably looking no further than the
underclass, which should have the added benefit of
getting sophomore flyer Pat Grogan back from football,
and rookie Oliver Diamond from soccer. Couple that
with last year's surprise Charlie Brennan and one can
see this team may end up making some noise come
January.
"We just need to get the squad in place, work hard and
keep believing," Gibbs said. "Others may count us out,
but we certainly don't. Believe me, come time next
year, we will be feared again."
Larry Kozlowski is a 1991 Camino Lanes Bowling Champ
and long-time part-time writer for the Salt Lake
Herald-Beacon. His columns can also be found in such
esteemed magazines as, "Scrapbooking with Molly &
Jerri Macintyre" and "American Hampster". Larry
Kozlowski is also Tyler Firmage's caddie out on the
links when Tyler is not training in the swimming pool,
which is most of the time.
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