THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 17, 1997 TAG: 9701160095
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, BEACON SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: 84 lines
AS SHANNON TURLIP'S torso cut through the water like a hot knife in whipped butter, it was hard to believe she had undergone heart surgery just over a month ago.
The miracles of modern medicine continue.
Several years ago, Turlip's condition - Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome - would have called for open heart surgery. As it was, the Salem High sophomore had five catheters inserted into her chest and was sent home the next day.
Turlip was diagnosed in late November with tachycardia. Her condition - too much muscle tissue around the heart - was causing an abnormally rapid heart beat.
It occurs in approximately one out of every 1,000 people.
There were times when the young swimmer's heart was racing at 240 beats a minute.
``There was lots of pain sometimes,'' she said after qualifying for four finals at the High School Classic swim meet at Old Dominion University on Jan. 4. ``It was beating extremely high and I was getting tired easy.
``You could see my heart beating out of my chest and neck.''
Six hours of laser surgery removed the excess tissue and things are back to normal.
Turlip is her happy, winning self.
At the Classic, she won the girls 200-yard freestyle and finished fourth in the 500. She also swam a leg on the winning 200 and 400 free relay teams. Turlip qualified for the Eastern Region and Group AAA state meets in all four events.
``I really didn't get to train any over the holidays, but I feel good,'' Turlip said. ``I've noticed a difference in day-to-day activities. I'm kind of surprised at how well I've done.''
Her coach isn't.
``She had the condition last year and just didn't know it and she did fantastic,'' said Randy Sterling. ``She was in incredible condition already and that has helped her tremendously. And she feels better now than before.''
Especially with her ticket to the state meet already punched.
Swimmers can qualify for the region and state meets at any Virginia High School League-sanctioned meet.
And pre-qualifying leaves coaches the opportunity to switch around their lineups and attempt to qualify more people.
State cut times came from the top eight times in each event at last year's Northern Region meet.
``We're looking at this meet as a way to make as many of those cuts as possible,'' Cox coach Joe Gentry said. ``They can qualify this way or by finishing in the top eight at the district and region meets.
``If they can qualify early, they can go to another event and try to qualify there as well and we can move other people in and try to get them qualified.''
If the Classic can be used as a barometer, Beach District swimmers should do very well at the state meet.
Most who qualified beat the cuts by at least two seconds and some by as many as 10.
Joining Turlip as qualifiers for Salem were Liz Flannery - also a four-event qualifier - and both freestyle relay teams.
Other girls state qualifiers from the Classic were Stephanie Jenkins of Kempsville in the 200 individual medley and the 100 breaststroke, Kempsville's Caroline Miller in the 100 breast and Cox's Lauren Bulkeley in the 100 breast. Bulkeley also qualified in the 100 butterfly.
Boys earning spots in the state meet were Kempsville's John McLaren in the 200 IM and 100 backstroke. Chiefs teammate Brendan Cartin also qualified in the 100 back. Teammate Mark Giusto beat the cut in the 200 and 100 freestyles, and Jared Bissell will go to state in the 500 free.
Cox swimmer Matt Morrisette won in the 100 fly and 50 free to advance, while teammate John Herzke won in the 500 free and was second in the 200 free to qualify in both. Conrad Mapp won in the 100 breast and qualified, while Andy Murray met the cut in the 500 free.
Both the Cox and Kempsville 400 free relay teams beat the cut by 10 seconds to qualify, and both teams qualified in the 200 medley relay.
The Eastern Region meet will be held Feb. 15 at the Princess Anne Recreation Center, while the Group AAA meet will be Feb. 21-22 at Oakton High in Vienna. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by L. TODD SPENCER
Shannon Turlip won the girls 200-yard freestyle and finished fourth
in the 500 at the High School Classic.