Excessive heat and a faster field will always add an element of difficulty to an event. But when it happens at the Central Coast Section Swimming and Diving Championships, as it did last weekend at Stanford's Avery Aquatic Center, it provides a competition that is all the more special.
With the field noticeably faster - the boys 200-yard freestyle was two seconds faster than last year, for instance - and temperatures creeping around triple digits, CCS qualifiers from the San Benito swim team were forced to battle multiple foes in Friday's CCS Prelims, all in an effort to qualify and repeat the performance for Saturday's CCS Finals.
The Haybalers were represented by three divers, nine individual swimmers and all six relay teams from the boys and girls squad combined, and finished in 34th and 14th place, respectively.
Leading the Lady 'Balers, which improved upon their 15th-place standing from last year's CCS meet, was Shelli Reed.
The junior swimmer qualified to the second day in two events, clocking a 24.27 in the 50 free and a 52.23 in the 100 free - the latter time received All-American Consideration (52.41) - and she finished in seventh and sixth place, respectively.
"We got faster but the field got even faster. Shelli posted her best times, but everyone got faster," coach Christine Schafer said. "[She was] excellent. She's on track and she's doing what she should be doing."
Reed's two top-eight finishes alone provided the Lady 'Balers with 25 of their 45 points at the CCS meet, and made San Benito the top Tri-County Athletic League team in the section.
"Overall they did really well," Schafer said. "It was hotter than you can imagine - unbelievable - and they were troopers."
The 'Baler boys saw Brandon Drogemuller advance to day two after he recorded a 4:46.14 in the 500-yard freestyle - good enough for 11th place.
In the finals, Drogemuller earned San Benito five points when he finished 12th in a time of 4:47.24.
With only the top 16 in each event advancing to the second day, Demi Gatrell perhaps came the closest to qualifying for the finals after she finished 19th in the 100 butterfly (1:00.34) and 24th in the 100 breast (1:10.24). In each race, Gatrell was less than a second away from a top-16 standing.
"She took two seconds off in the 100 fly," Schafer noted. "She's moved up the ladder and was closer than she was last year.
"There was a swim-off in the 100 fly after a three-way tie for 16th. That's how tight the competition was."
Nonetheless, the San Benito sophomore was part of two Lady 'Baler foursomes - the 200 freestyle relay and the 400 freestyle relay - which qualified to the second day.
Gatrell, coupled with Katie Buzzetta, Megan Geary and Reed, took 12th place in the 200 free relay (1:42.15) as well as the 400 free relay (3:43.62).
The season is now complete for the rather youthful San Benito swim team, which will see just a few graduate this year, including Buzzetta, Steven Shattuck, Andrew Yacovone and Mike Skiver.
And with a big-time meet like the CCS championships experienced by a slew of returning swimmers, San Benito looks poised to return next year even stronger.
"It was a wonderful experience. They had tremendous growth and I'm actually excited for next year," Schafer said. "They were already talking about what they need to do to advance next year.
"They're motivated and that's what you look for."
CCS PRELIMS
GIRLS
200 medley relay - 43, San Benito, 2:04.17. 200 free - 38, L. Larson, 2:02.26; 51, J. Drogemuller, 2:07.49. 50 free - 5, S. Reed, 24.10; 43, M. Geary, 25.77; 50, K. Buzzetta, 26.14. 100 free - 4, S. Reed, 51.94. 100 fly - 19, D. Gatrell, 1:00.34. 500 free - 34, L. Larson, 5:29.50; 41, J. Drogemuller, 5:36.75. 100 breast - 24, D. Gatrell, 1:10.24. 200 free relay - 10, San Benito, 1:41.18. 400 free relay - 12, San Benito, 3:41.90. Diving - 38, J. Raine, 97.45.
BOYS
200 medley relay - 34, San Benito, 1:48.79. 200 free - 30, B. Drogemuller, 1:48.17. 500 free - 11, B. Drogemuller, 4:46.14. 200 free relay - 40, San Benito, 1:35.70. 100 breast - 32, S. Shattuck, 1:04.28. 400 free relay - 25, San Benito, 3:26.40. Diving - 24, M. Stevens, 103.50; 25, A. Yacovone, 99.70.
CCS FINALS
GIRLS
50 free - 7, S. Reed, 24.27. 100 free - 6, S. Reed, 52.23. 200 free relay - 12, San Benito, 1:42.15. 400 free relay - 12, San Benito, 3:43.62.
BOYS
500 free - 12, B. Drogemuller, 4:47.24.
Andrew Matheson Andrew Matheson is a sports writer for South Valley Newspapers. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 334 or at amatheson@svnewspapers.com.
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