With temperatures in the 90s, shade trees and umbrellas were in high demand Saturday at Panama City Swim and Tennis Club for the 16th Annual Sailfish Invitational.

The blistering heat affected all the swimmers, according to the Panama City Swim Team's Jeremy Mount.

``If you stay out of the sun and drink lots of fluids you should be okay,'' Mount said.

The defending champion PCST team leads the three-day meet with 364 points, followed by the Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club (268.5) and Playground YMCA (249).

Mount is one of 16 PCST members who have qualified to go to the Junior Olympics next week in Memphis, Tenn., his second major meet of the season. He has been to the Junior Olympics the past four years.

``Qualifying for the state (high school) swim meet, I was third out of three in my district to go. Then I shaved and made some mental adjustments, and made the finals at state,'' said Mount.

Training time -- especially in the winter -- is a problem local swimmers face without a local year-round swimming facility.

``We're at a real disadvantage,'' Mount said. ``We're out of the water for three to five months, doing nothing, getting out of training, out of conditioning, and then when we come back, we have to start all over.''

The planned indoor pool at Gulf Coast Community College should change all of that. Mount predicted that with a year-round program, all of the younger swimmers in the area will be breaking the records set by the current senior crop.

A plus for Mount has been swimming for the same coach for the last four years, Mosley High School and PCST coach Jim Bucher.

``(Bucher) is a really great coach,'' Mount said. ``He's always on my back, driving me, keeping me going.''

The the recent high school graduate will have to get used to another coach when he enrolls at Miami-Dade North Community College on a swimming--academic scholarship.

``It looks like they have a really great coach, and they have year-round facilities. Besides, Andy Casalini will be going, too,'' Mount said of his friend and teammate for the last five years.

Mount's parents got him into swimming at an early age, but quit having to push him after just a short time. The difficulty, the mental and physical challenge of it, and the accomplishment he feels in winning or placing in competition drive him now.

``I love the feeling I get from competing,'' Mount said. ``Anyway, it's a beautiful sport and I wouldn't trade it for anything.''

Mount is looking forward to competing with some ``high-powered teams'' in the Miami area. He is undecided about whether he will choose to stay or come back to Panama City to compete during the summer.

Either way, Mount is eager to face the heat.

Bucher's senior swimmer is having a good Sailfish meet.

``He's doing real well in this meet, and I expect him to do well anytime.''

Bucher thought that his team would be trailing after the morning session on Saturday, but the defending champions found themselves in better shape than he anticipated.

``The breaststroke and individual medley are tough events,'' Bucher said. ``The swimmers faced a really tough day today.''

PCST's Erin Sturgis won two events Saturday, the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard freestyle, plus finished second in the 100-yard breaststroke.

Heather McCormick beat her teammate in the 100-yard breaststroke, and also finished second in the freestyle and third in the invididual medley.

Mount was first in the 100-yard freestyle, third in 100-yard breaststroke and third in the individual medley.

Joel Davis finished second in the individual medley and 100-yard freestyle, and third in the 100-yard breaststroke. Teammate Brian Jones finished third in the individual medley, fourth in 100-yard freestyle and sixth in 100-yard breaststroke.

Mark Phillips was second in the 100-yard breaststroke, fourth in the individual medley and sixth in the 100-yard freestyle.

The meet will continue today at the Swim and Tennis Club on Highway 390. The early session should begin at 8:30 a.m., the afternoon session one hour after the earlier group finishes.

Results on Stat Sheet, Page 4F.