Pasco County teams improve in district swimming

This article appeared in the St. Petersburg Times on Nov. 17, 2002.

Photo at left: Gulf's Jessica Lampkin, who won two events and qualified for states.

By STEVE LEE
Times Staff Writer

CLEARWATER - Pasco County teams have yet to win a district title against their Pinellas County counterparts, but there is progress.

Land O'Lakes' girls improved from fourth last year to third in Saturday's meet at the Long Center and three county swimmers won individual races.

Ridgewood's Joy Taylor nearly made it six, but she touched just behind Countryside's Cindy Rosal in the 500-yard freestyle. The Clearwater Aquatics Club teammates often race one another in practice at the Long Center.

"It was just her," said Rosal, whose time of 5 minutes, 8.08 seconds edged Taylor's 5:08.27. "We were racing each other. We weren't racing anybody else."

Countryside won the boys meet with 462 points and East Lake's 538 points gave the Eagles three straight district girls titles.

Gulf's girls and Ridgewood's boys each placed fourth for Pasco County's best team finishes behind the Land O'Lakes girls.

Hudson's Joe Hroma and Gulf's Jessica Lampkin each won two events. Margie Chamberlain, a Land O'Lakes freshman, was the county's other individual champion.

Hroma won the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly, but all he could talk about was Hudson's third-place 200 medley relay team that included himself, Craig Bialkoski, Greg Montmarquet and Robert Bussy.

"They worked hard on improving their sprints and turns," said Hroma. a senior transfer from Indiana.

Finishing second in the 200 medley relay was the Land O'Lakes foursome of Chris Obara, Craig Hilgenberg, Adam Yanchunis and Travis Moore.

Lampkin's wins came in the 50 free and 100 backstroke. She also teamed with India Surlis. Emily Vlahakis and Kimmi Murphy to place third in the 200 medley relay and qualify for state in that event

Lampkin, a junior transfer from Delaware, had qualified for state up north twice in the 100 back. She will swim the 50 free at state for the first time.

"It give me a taste of something new," Lampkin said. "It's kind of hard to do the same (event) over and over."

Chamberlain won the 100 butterfly and was a runner-up in the 200 free.

Taylor was not Ridgewood's only runner-up. The Rams' Mike Mansfield placed second in the 200 free.

Two county divers - Gulf's Michelle Mendonca and Ridgewood's Nick Dilorio - placed third.