THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, February 18, 1997 TAG: 9702180087
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Athlete of the Week
SOURCE: BY BRIAN J. FRENCH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 41 lines
The Salem team banner on display Saturday at the Eastern Region swimming championships had Lestyan fingerprints all over it.
Julie Lestyan's mother made the banner; Julie helped carry it.
The senior - already assured of going to the Group AAA state meet by virture of her times in the preliminary heats - won both the 50- and 100-meter freestyle finals and swam anchor leg on the record-setting 200 and 400 relay teams.
Lestyan's success helped fuel the Sun Devils to third place in team scoring, trailing only Lafayette and Cox.
Although Lestyan's individual titles represented redemption of sorts - Lestyan placed second in both events last year - the relay victories at Princess Anne Community Recreation Center held the most significance.
``It was really awesome to win the relays,'' Lestyan said. ``This wasn't just my win; this was everyone's win. I'm not just reacting to how I did, but how we did.''
The 200 relay was particularly memorable. Lestyan started her leg with the team down about a body's length to Lafayette. She turned on the afterburners and rallied late, getting to the wall about a half-second ahead of Lafayette as Salem finished in 1:54.24.
Such worries were unwarranted in the 400 relay, however, as the team shattered the region record by almost seven seconds, clocking in at 4:11.93.
Lestyan advances to the first-ever state championship meet at Oak Marr Recreation Center in Oakton this weekend. She figures to face markedly improved competition, particularly from the Northern Virginia schools.
But for one evening, that was neither here nor there.
``This is a big day for us,'' said Lestyan Saturday.
Big? Heck, you might even call it a banner day. ILLUSTRATION: Photo