KEN McVAY

Sports Writer

Panama City's Lisa Cooper knows that it takes a team effort to win a big swim meet.

Even though she wasn't a winner during the first two days of the 14th annual Sailfish Invitational Swim Meet at the Panama City Swim and Tennis Club, Cooper was right there, pulling for her teammates.

``You can't win all the time,'' Cooper said. ``There are a lot of good swimmers in this meet.''

Cooper finished fifth in the senior girls 1,650-yard freestyle on Friday and third in the senior girls 100-yard freestyle on Saturday.

In between, she was helping the younger swimmers on her team, lining up her 8-and-under teammates for relays and offering encouragement to everyone.

``I teach some swimming lessons and help with some of the team members, but I don't think of myself as a coach,'' Cooper said. ``It's just teamwork. Some of the younger swimmers look to me for help and I just try to give them encouragement.''

Her pep talks must have worked. The Panama City Swim Team continued to lead the three-day event with 308.5 points Saturday. The Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club is second with 270 followed by the Playground Area YMCA with 230 points.

The meet will conclude today, with competition starting at 9 a.m.

Cooper has been a swimmer since she was four years old, and said she still has fun every time she gets into the pool.

``It's great exercise and it's fun,'' Cooper said. ``Of course, it's a lot more fun if we can win the meet. The competition is real good in this meet. I just hope that we can hang on and win it.''

Cooper, who will be a senior at Bay High School in the fall, looks forward to the high school season.

``There's a lot of competition in the high school meets,'' she said. ``We have a good time in those as well.''

While Cooper didn't win events on Saturday, her teammates did.

Lindsay Scott won the girls 8-and-under 25-yard breast stroke, Kelly Brown won the girls 8-and-under 25-yard freestyle, the boys 8-and-under relay team of Alexander Iazzi, Kenny Munroe, Andy Weddle and Beau Dusseault won the 100-yard medley, the boys 11-12 relay team of Jonathan Mount, Colby Brown, Townsend Cooper and Lee Walker won the 200-yard medley and the boys 13-14 relay team of Jason Jarvis, Kevin Gibson, Brian Jones and Sean Sweetser won the 200-yard medley.

``We did a pretty good job in the relays,'' PCST coach Jim Bucher said. ``But we had some trouble with some disqualifications in the earlier events. I hope we can hold on and win the meet.''

Other multiple winners included: Mike Zaffaroni of the Maclay Swim Team, who won the 8-and-under boys 25-yard breast stroke, 25-yard freestyle and 100-yard individual medley; Lindsey Hinston (unattached) who won the 10-and-under girls 50-yard breast stroke, 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard individual medley; Mark Bouldin (Playground) who won the 10-and-under boys 50-yard breast stroke, 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard individual medley; Ashley Hinson (unattached) who won the 11-12 girls 50-yard breast stroke and 200-yard individual medley; Jay Hinson (unattached) who won the 11-12 boys 50-yard breast stroke, 50-yard freestyle and 200 individual medley; Amanda Evans (ATAC) won the 13-14 girls 100-yard breast stroke, 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard individual medley; Darren Oldson (ATAC) won the 13-14 boys 100-yard breast stroke and 200-yard individual medley; Cynda Adams (Pine Crest) won the senior girls 100-yard breast stroke and 200-yard individual medley; and Craig Becker of Playground, a high school All-American who won the senior boys 100-yard breast stroke, 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard individual medley.

Becker, who won three events on Friday, has lost just one individual event in three years in the Sailfish Invitational, winning 10 events two years ago and nine events last year.

``I love to swim in this meet,'' said the Clemson-bound swimmer. ``There is usually some good competition and I always swim better with good competition.''