THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 12, 1995 TAG: 9502100226
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 28 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Long : 103 lines
THE WEATHER OUTSIDE was frightful, but for the Great Neck girls 200-meter relay team, the water in the Princess Anne Recreation Center pool was delightful.
When the team of Megan Roberson, Becca Rose, Leigh Starling and Karen Lamoureux emerged from the water after winning their race, they had established a very early lead that their team would never relinquish.
It wasn't too long afterward that the Great Neck Swim Club boys team did the same - taking both teams to victories in the inaugural Beach District club team championships.
The Great Neck team comprises swimmers from Cox and First Colonial high schools.
The girls relay team established a city record with their 2:15.92 time.
Coaches of the other three clubs knew they would be swimming against a strong current in trying to beat the Great Neck girls, who finished the season unbeaten at 6-0.
``We knew their girls were going to be tough,'' said Laura Eldredge, Ocean Lakes High School coach, who worked with the Princess Anne club. ``No surprise there. I want to finish in the top two in each, because I know we have some great individual swimmers.''
One of Eldredge's great swimmers was out on the slopes, not in the pool, the day of the meet.
``Joe Holland went skiing,'' said Eldredge, rolling her eyes and chuckling.
Eldredge at least got half her wish. The PA boys finished second to Great Neck, 158-143. But Eldredge's girls had to settle for third place, behind Great Neck and Kempsville - featuring swimmers from Kempsville and Tallwood highs.
Apparently, Great Neck's Roberson had just been warming up in the first race. She went on to win the third race of the day - the 200-meter individual freestyle - by more than 10 seconds over second-place finisher Tiffany Richards.
For her day at the pool, Roberson collected four first-place finishes. She also won the 100-meter individual backstroke and teamed with her relay companions to take the 400-meter freestyle relay.
Roberson's wave of firsts led the way to the Great Neck girls 163 point winning total. The Kempsville club finished second with 136 points. The Princess Anne girls scored 120.5 for third place. The Bayside club finished fourth with 86.5 points.
The Great Neck boys took their title by a slimmer margin. They were led by Mike Delfaus, who won the individual 50-meter freestyle, took second in the individual 100-meter freestyle and swam on the winning 200-meter freestyle relay.
Great Neck needed all the help they could get in edging Princess Anne by 15 points.
Princess Anne's Jeff Lewis and Joe Williams posted individual wins, and Adam Chissler and Ryan O'Meara each earned two individual firsts.
Chissler, a 16-year-old junior at Ocean Lakes High School, took first place in the 100-meter fly and the 100-meter backstroke.
The Bayside club - Princess Anne, Bayside and Green Run swimmers - paddled against the tide all season, winless in both divisions.
``We have inexperienced swimmers, younger swimmers than the other clubs,'' said Bayside coach Dave Monkman before the meet began. ``But I saw improvement during the season. We should do better at this meet because depth won't be the problem it is in dual meets.
``A couple of our swimmers should do well individually.''
Monkman was prophetic. Brenda Jones finished first in the individual 100-meter breaststroke and the individual 100-meter freestyle.
Duane Prasch won the individual 100-meter breaststroke and took third place in the 200-meter individual freestyle.
The Bayside boys did finish third in the boys competition, eight points in front of Kempsville.
Kempsville coach Sarah Winters spoke about her individual swimmers at the halfway point of the meet.
``Brian Brady and Jay Sheets could do well,'' she said. ``Jay's an underdog. For the girls, we have Tiffany Richards and Stephanie Jenkins.
``We're doing OK in the standings so far, but our times aren't as fast as I'd hoped.''
Winters will coach the Kempsville swim team next year.
Sheets, the underdog, finished second to PA's Joe Williams in the individual 500-meter freestyle.
Great Neck coach Kim McCanna wore a huge smile after the meet. She knows that she'll lose some of her swimmers next year when Cox and First Colonial become rivals instead of teammates. But for now she was celebrating a hard-earned double championship for her club. McCanna has been active as a swim coach with the city's recreation swim program for 18 years.
``It's so gratifying to see the sport come into its own at the high school level, as a varsity sport, finally,'' McCanna said. ``And what a great group of kids, all-around. We have three girls with straight A's on this team.''
Next winter, the swimmers will represent only their schools, as the club sport takes on full varsity status under Virginia High School League rules. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by MORT FRYMAN
Megan Roberson, left, Leigh Starling, Becca Rose and Karen Lamoureux
of the Great Neck club won the 200-meter relay in a city-record time
of 2:15.92.
Adam Chissler, a 16-year-old junior at Ocean Lakes High School, took
first place in the 100-meter fly and the 100-meter backstroke.
by CNB