Winter Haven Girls Use Relay to Grab District Title

Thu. October 25, 2012 at 11:08 p.m. | By Polk Preps Staff

Winter Haven's Bethany Dawson swims the butterfly leg of the girls 200-yard medley relay race. (Photo by PIERRE DUCHARME | THE LEDGER )

By LISA COFFEY

THE LEDGER

WINTER HAVEN | Thanks to three winning relays, the Winter Haven girls swim team edged Harmony to grab the Class 2A, District 7 title Thursday at the Rowdy Gaines Pool.

Harmony claimed the district title for the boys and claimed the overall team score in the event.

Winter Haven's Hannah Kendall and I.V. Simons, Lakeland's Alex Sparbel and Tenoroc's Briana Flores each captured two events.

The winning relays and the top eight swimmers in each event advance to the Region 3 meet on Nov. 3 at the North Shore Pool in Dunedin.

Sixteen relay teams that turn in the next fastest relays times after the winners from all district meets also advance to the region meet.

The Blue Devils topped defending champion Harmony by 19 points.

Thursday's victory for the Blue Devil girls was a surprise for Winter Haven coach Lori Edwards.

"It's been a long time," Edwards said. "Harmony is so strong. They have a lot of depth. It was our girls who made consolations and finals, and they swam awesome relays and the three divers. It was very nice."

The Blue Devils won all three relays. They overtook Harmony in the 400-yard freestyle relay, the last event of the meet. Emily Miles closed the gap, and freshman Hannah Kendall turned in a 53.83 leg and overtook Harmony's Katy Davis, a two-time Osceola swimmer of the year.

Blue Devil Bethany Dawson overtook Harmony's Kylie Joachim on the butterfly portion of the 200 medley relay, and Connor Van Meter held on as Winter Haven won it with a personal-best time of 2:06.30.

In the 200 freestyle relay, it was Sara Niesen on the second leg who took the lead as Winter Haven won it.

Freshman Bria Clark swam on two of the three relays.

Kendall won the 50 and 100 freestyles.

Dawson captured the 100 butterfly.

Harmony won two of the three relays, but the Winter Haven boys claimed the 200 medley relay.

Jordan Kendall won the 100 backstroke. He placed second to Tenoroc freshman and county champion Jonathan Sawyer for the second week in a row in the 500 freestyle.

Sparbel, still recovering from a broken finger, won the 200 freestyle with his best time all year (1:53.86) and 100 butterfly with a personal-best time (54.28), to help the Lakeland boys finish fourth.

Sawyer placed second to Sparbel in the 200 free.

Flores, a senior, won the 200 individual medley and claimed the 100 backstroke for the second year in a row.

Class 2A, District 7

At Rowdy Gaines

Boys

Team Results: 1. Harmony (HHS) 442. 2. Winter Haven (WHHS) 415. 3. Sebring (S) 328. 4. Lakeland (LHS) 192. 5. Haines City (HC) 129. 6. Lake Region (LR) 110. 7. St. Cloud (SC) 98. 8. Tenoroc (THS) 93. 9. Bartow (BHS) 87. 10. Celebration (C) 84. 11. Lake Gibson (LG) 64. 12. Ridge Community (RC) 60. 13. Armwood (A) 50. 14. Kathleen (KHS) 48. 15. Auburndale (AHS) 9.

200 medley relay: 1. Winter Haven 2:06.30. 2. Harmony 2:09.20. 3. Sebring 2:13.55.

200 free: 1. Alex Sparbel (LHS) 1:48.60. 2. Jonathan Sawyer (THS) 1:53.86. 3. Peter Swafford (HHS) 2:00.68.

200 IM: 1. I.V. Simons (WHHS), 2:04.37. 2. Joshua Saute (HHS) 2:20.94. 3. Lance Kime (SC) 2:23.06.

50 free: 1. Lucas Roberts (HHS) 23.07. 2. John Roberts (HHS) 23.23. 3. Sam Steele (HHS) 23.48.

100 fly: 1. Alex Sparbel (LHS) 54.28. 2. Sam Steele (HHS) 57.34. 3. Chris Wilcox (HC) 1:03.80.

100 free: 1. Lucas Roberts (HHS) 50.02. 2. John Roberts (HHS) 50.88. 3. Michael Driscoll (HHS) 55.07.

500 free: 1. Johnathan Sawyer (THS) 5:06.96. 2. Jordan Kendall (WHHS) 5:08.00. 3. Peter Swafford (HHS) 5:26.30.

200 free relay: 1. Harmony 1:33.91. 2. Lakeland 1:39.27. 3. Winter Haven 1:40.20.

100 back: 1. Jordan Kendall (WHHS) 59.18. 2. Chris Wilcox (HC) 1:03.35. 3. Bailey Sklarek (HHS) 1:06.72.

100 breast: 1. I.V. Simons (WHHS) 1:03.48. 2. Dylan Wallace (WHHS) 1:11.08. 3. Pedro Cuervo (LHS) 1:11.14.

400 free relay: 1. Harmony 3:26.11. 2. Winter Haven 3:35.51. 3. Lakeland 3:48.21.

Girls

Team Results: 1. Winter Haven 411. 2. Harmony 392. 3. Sebring 379. 4. St. Cloud 248. 5. Lakeland 215. 6. Haines City 120. 7. Lake Region 107. 8. Celebration 79. 9. Tenoroc 68. 10. Armwood 50. 11. Ridge Community 40. 12. Bartow 37. 13. Lake Gibson 32. 14. Kathleen 24.

200 medley relay: 1. Winter Haven 2:06.30. 2. Harmony 2:09.20. 3. Sebring 2:13.55.

200 free: 1. Katy Davis (HHS) 1:02.62. 2. Bria Clark (WHHS) 2:17.51. 3. Layal Straight (LHS) 2:23.33.

200 IM: 1. Briana Flores (THS) 2:27.36. 2. Lindsey Saute (HHS) 2:32.60. 3. Emily Miles (WHHS) 2:34.78.

50 free: 1. Hannah Kendall (WHHS) 25.23. 2. Emily Walker (HHS) 27.00. 3. Connor Van Meter (27.20).

100 fly: 1. Bethany Dawson (WHHS) 1:11.21. 2. Selma Squafi (SC) 1:14.85. 3. Kylie Joachim (HHS) 1:14.85.

100 free: 1. Hannah Kendall (WHHS) 55.32. 2. Connor Van Meter (WHHS) 1:00.16. 3. Rachel Walker (HHS) 1:01.96.

500 free: 1. Katy Davis (HHS) 5:29.93. 2. Bria Clark (WHHS) 6:15.55. 3. Layla Straight (LR) 6:25.05.

200 free relay: 1. Winter Haven 1:48.44. 2. Harmony 1:50.40. 3. Sebring 1:56.03.

100 back: 1. Briana Flores (THS) 1:05.87. 2. Lindsey Saute (HHS) 1:10.38. 3. Kyle Joachim (HHS) 1:16.20.

100 breast: 1. Emily Walker (HHS) 1:03.48. 2. Emily Miles (WHHS) 1:18.78. 3. Emily Helterhoff (S) 1:19.40.

400 free relay: 1. Winter Haven 4:02.38. 2. Harmony 4:03.46. 3. St. Cloud 4:28.31.