With super-buoyant swimsuits banned, the race is on again

[justinperry]

http://www.pottstownmercury.com/articles/2010/03/05/sports/srv0000007711650.txt

PHILADELPHIA — When the District 1 championships kick off today at LaSalle University's Kirk Natatorium, it will be back to the good old days of whoever swims the fastest wins. No more help from inflated suits.

Gone are those buoyancy-enhanced swimsuits from last year that mostly only the wealthy could afford, but they sure helped them drop times left and right. The hi-tech suits are history, banned by the National Federation of State High School Association several months ago.

"They still have some suits that are obviously faster than others, but it's a much more even playing field because there is nothing added," said veteran Boyertown coach Linda Jones. "Now all the suits have to be a woven fabric, and it will even out the fear as to who can afford a $400, $500 suit.

"The current suits are still running $200 to 300, but the $500 for those hi-tech suits was really out of the reach of most families. So this way it's a much fairer meet, in my opinion."

The current suits also can no longer extend down past the knees, and they sure can't have any added Neoprene.

"No more leg skins, no more polyurethane on the suits," Jones said. "Neoprene was on those (hi-tech suits) like on the wet suits that divers wear. They were adding Neoprene to add buoyancy in the water to make kids go faster. This year there is no longer benefit of the added buoyancy."

But time does go marching forward.

"Although the suit rules have made last year's suits illegal, the suit technology has been improved from two years ago," veteran Perkiomen Valley coach Jack Graham pointed out. "We might not ever see anything like we did last year again, but the swimmers should still be able to go very fast again this year."

Owen J. Roberts veteran coach Kevin Bott agreed.

"Technically speaking, with the exception of last year, the suits are still more advanced than older versions from a few years ago," Bott said. "However, the main difference is the amount of suit the athletes are allowed to have covering their body."

Which is a lot less than last year, and this weekend will tell the difference.

But even without wearing those prepped-up suits, and only a total of six swimmers, the Boyertown boys came oh so close to swimming away with the District 1-AAA team title last year. It slipped away in the final event, the 400-yard freestyle relay.

The Bears were holding a 3-1/2 point lead going into that 400 free relay. But their many swims, both individually and in relays, had finally taken their toll and West Chester Henderson, much deeper in numbers, won the 400 free relay and and the team title.

Those same six Bears are back one more time and sure are going after that title again.

This year North Penn, loaded with swimmers, looks to be the team to beat.

"They have three guys to every one of mine," Jones said. "They are just enormous. We'll have six boys swimming at that meet and they'll have at least 18. Our guys have to swim well and we'll just have to outscore them."

And if it comes down to the final event again, the Bears are the top seed in that 400 free relay. That's a good omen, but it also means they have that proverbial bullet on their backs.

The highest individual seed in Class AAA is Methacton freshman Louie Seefeld, second in the 100 breaststroke.

Methacton junior Blaire Kinsey is the area's lone Class AAA girls top seed, situated first in the 200 individual medley.

St. Pius may not have a team but their two standout swimmers, John Hauser and Jamie Kane, nailed down a combined four top seeds. Hauser is seeded first in the 200 IM and 500 free; Kane first in the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke. Both are defending champions in those events,

Pottsgrove sophomore Tyler Gross is also set to make waves, coming in seeded first in the Class AA 100 breaststroke. The Falcons' A.J. Kontostathis is seeded second in the 100 butterfly, and the Pottsgrove 200 medley relay team is seeded third.

Also in AA, the Upper Perkiomen boys 200 free relay and the 400 free relay are both seeded second, while the Indians' Kyle Himmelwright is third in the 100 backstroke.

Back to Class AAA, Kinsey is also seeded third in the 100 breaststroke, with Methacton's Erika Rodman seeded third in the 500 free, and the Warriors' 200 medley relay also the third seed.

Perkiomen Valley's Caroline Hodgins is seeded fourth in the 200 free and sixth in the 100 free.

On the boys Class AAA side, the higher seedings include Boyertown's Matt Duffy, seeded third in the 50 free. The 50 free has the most locals in the top 12, with OJR's Alex Bauer eighth, teammate Ian Friel 10th, and Methacton's Mike McBride 12th.

The Bears' 200 medley relay team is seeded fourth.

Boyertown seniors Wesley Trumbauer and Jordan Hartman are at the core of this six-man Bears team. Both have to have terrific relay swims to push the Bears up, and then must have equally outstanding efforts in their individual events to wrack up points.

Trumbauer is seeded fourth in the 100 butterfly. Hartman is seeded 10th in the 200 free, and then fifth in the 500 free, while Trumbauer is sixth in the 500 free, so they will have to battle it out on opposite outside lanes. A year ago, in their thrilling neck-to-neck 500 free battle with Hartman in lane 2 andTrumbauer in lane 3, ended with Trumbauer capturing the gold and Hartman the silver.