THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 21, 1994 TAG: 9408190261
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
FOR THE FIRST time since the Western Tidewater Swimming Association began its championship meet in 1988, the Churchland Swim and Racquet Club has captured the title.
Even the Churchland swimmers were surprised by their accomplishment. Churchland had finished with a 5-5 regular-season record.
Each of the six teams met twice during the year.
The Suffolk team had compiled a 10-0 record, and Nansemond, last year's regular-season and championship meet winner, was runner-up with an 8-2 mark.
Churchland was third in the season, followed by Smithfield, the Marlin Club and Elizabeth Manor.
The championship meet was held at the Nansemond pool.
Coached by Lybbi Sarsfield, Churchland racked up 283 points in the meet. Runnerup Suffolk had 264 and Nansemond had 231. Marlin had 222, followed by Elizabeth Manor with 172 and Smithfield with 154.
While the team was surprised with its victory, Sarsfield had predicted it.
``The kids may have had a little doubt, but I thought we could win if we had all our swimmers. We were missing a lot of them at the different meets during the season,'' said Sarsfield, a former Norfolk Catholic High School swimmer.
The first-year coach was assisted by Leann Martin.
Sarsfield called ``consistency'' the key to the victory.
Sisters Emily and Katie Perkins and Laura Glace sparked the Churchland triumph. Emily, competing in the 13-14 division, won the 100-meter individual medley, was second in the 50-meter butterfly and was a member of Churchland's third-place mixed 200-meter medley relay team. She was third in the 50-meter freestyle.
Katie, participating in the girls 9-10 division, won the 100-meter individual medley and the 25-meter butterfly. She anchored Churchland's win in the 100-meter freestyle relay.
Glace won the 7-8 girls 25-meter freestyle and 25-meter butterfly and was second in the 25-meter backstroke. She anchored a fourth-place finish by Churchland in the 100-meter freestyle relay.
Jana Liedman won the 15-18 girls 50-meter backstroke.
In the boys competition, Churchland's Kenny Adams won the 50-meter breaststroke, setting a record with a time of 34.59, and swam a leg on the winning mixed 200 medley relay team. Churchland's relay team had a 2:16.41 time.
Lenny Weinstein, also a member of the relay unit, won the 15-18 boys 50-meter butterfly and the boys 100-meter freestyle.
David Liedman won the 15-18 boys 100-meter individual medley and the 50-meter backstroke. He broke the record in the latter with a time of 34.28.
In the 9-10 girls 25-meter freestyle, Courtney Jones captured first place.
In the 25-meter breaststroke competition, Jeff Bozman was the 9-10 boys winner. Catie Meehan won the 11-12 girls 50-meter breaststroke.
Elizabeth Clark took a first in the 9-10 girls 25-meter backstroke. Jenny Glace won the 11-12 girls 50-meter backstroke.
Churchland's strength in the relays clinched the team victory. Churchland won three of the relay events.
The other relay win, in addition to the 9-10 100-meter freestyle and the 15-18 mixed 200-meter medley, came in the 11-12 200 medley relay. Members of this unit were Jenny Glace, Meehan, Emily Wilson and Jan Pittman. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Churchland's Kenny Adams set a record in the 50-meter breaststroke.
Laura Glace
David Liedman
Katie Perkins
Emily Perkins
Jeff Bozman
by CNB