Friday, March 4, 2005

Swimmers converge on Gulf Coast for PCST Open

By Pat McCann

Executive Sports Editor 747-5068 / pmccann@pcnh.com

PANAMA CITY

The purpose of the Panama City Swim Team Open meet this weekend at Gulf Coast Community College won’t be team totals and individual ribbons.

More important will be the times that swimmers produce while looking ahead to the Southeastern Short-Course Championships later this month in Nashville, Tenn.

Southeast Swimming Inc. establishes qualifying times in each age-group event that swimmers must reach if they want to compete in two weeks.

A number of PCST members have reached those standards in some events and are trying to add more to their resume. Some are trying to break through to qualify for the short-course meet, which is for pools that are 25 yards in length. The long-course events are held at pools with 50-meter lanes.

"This is the final meet for our swimmers to qualify," PCST board president Rob McDonald said. "We have several swimmers who are right on the cusp."

Nine teams and 247 swimmers will compete Saturday and Sunday. Competition each day begins about 8:30 a.m. and continues to about 5 p.m. Seals Swim Club will represent Naval Support Activity-Panama City with the Tallahassee Aquatics Club and Northside Dolphins coming from Tallahassee, Bluewater Bay, Maverick Aquatics and Playground Area YMCA from Okaloosa County and Dothan Dolphins and Wiregrass Aquatics Club from Dothan, Ala.

In addition to the 54 registered swimmers from PCST, McDonald said one swimmer from the Memphis Thunder Aquatics Club will compete.There will be four total sessions with younger swimmers taking the pool Saturday and Sunday mornings and the older swimmers following in the afternoon. Male and female divisions will compete in 8-under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 and senior age groups.

PCST coach Nicole Garner expects some of her athletes to eclipse the qualifying barrier this weekend.

She mentioned Arnold student Taylor Pippins as being within "hundredths of a second in three or four events," and Mary McDermott as "close in five events." Josh Bryant, Kyle Olstad and Nicole Gazia also are on the verge of qualifying, she said.

Carlee McDonald has qualified in six events in age 11-12, but is looking to add the breaststroke, Garner said. Matt Bryant (11-12) has made it in 100 butterfly and 500 freestyle, and is close in 50 butterfly and 200 IM. Jamie McDonald (9-10) has qualified in 100 butterfly and could reach the standard in five other events, and Nicole Blais has made the cut in 1650 freestyle and 200 butterfly and is closing in on six other events.

"I’m pretty confident that most people will have their time drop," Garner said. "If they don’t make the cut, I don’t think it will be unsuccessful. Putting forth their best efforts I think will leave them positive about their swims."