LEWISBURG — Clearfield’s Girl’s and Boy’s Swimming and Diving qualifiers are ready for the PIAA Class AA State Championships this Wednesday and Thursday at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium.
Clearfield will send 14 participants to the state meet, including 12 swimmers and two divers. Of the 14 participating, only four Bisons achieved seeds in the top 16.
\”Our best seed is Shay Flanagan,\” said head swimming coach Jackie Morrison. \”His time seed is fifth in the 500 free and eighth in the 200. In relays, the boys are 11th in the 200 medley and 16th in the 400 free. We have no girls in the top 16. We don’t get excited and concern ourselves with seeds. You’ll have kids seeded 24th finish in the top 12. You’re never out of it; it’s too close.\”
However, Morrison believes Flanagan’s seed will work to his advantage. \”In both distance events, Shay is next to the second seed, so it’s going to be a fast race. It will be a major advantage, because it’s really going to push him. And, Shay is really excited about that.\”
Flanagan, a sophomore and returning state qualifier, will look to use his position to capture a state medal. He won double district and regional championships in the 200 and 500 free events. In addition, Flanagan put up a record-breaking performance en route to both 500 free titles. At the District IX League meet, he set a University of Pittsburgh-Bradford pool record, before shattering a regional meet record two weeks later.
\”I think the distance swimmers [Flanagan and Carolyn Shurer] will do very well,\” said Morrison. \”Our program is built around and works on endurance. They’ve been working hard, and are confident they’ll do well. I talked to Carolyn tonight and she feels really good. They’re both returning next year. This will be great for them and a true learning experience.\”
Logan Shirey, a junior and returning state qualifier, will compete in two individual events –the 100 fly and breaststroke. He’s a District VI-IX Regional Runner-up in both events, while placing second in the fly and third in the breaststroke at districts. He enters the state meet seeded 24th in breaststroke and 32nd in the fly.
Although Shirey isn’t seeded high, Morrison still believes that’s where he’ll finish. \”He’s going to do well. I really bought into it this week at practice, because he’s been training hard. He had a great meet last year and that was his first state meet. He’s had a year to build from that. And, he swam well at regionals.\”
Brandon Boyer, a senior and returning state qualifier, just missed the cut at regionals with a pair of third place finishes in the 100 free and backstroke. However, Boyer received an at large bid by making the top 16 fastest swimmers in the state in both events. He’s elected to only compete in the100 free, where he’s currently seeded 27th.
\”The events are closer together, because there are no girls’ events to break them up,\” said Morrison. \”It would be too much since the meet moves quickly. We felt he had a better shot in the relays [ 200 medley and 400 free]. Plus, he really wanted to swim in the 100 free.\”
The Bison relay team of Boyer, Mark Krchnak, Shirey and Flanagan will compete in the 200 medley. The team put together a pair of record-breaking performances en route their district and regional titles. At districts, Boyer, Krchnak, Shirey and Flanagan set a UPB pool record, before shattering a regional meet record. The team enters states ranked 11th.
Boyer, Chris and John Bodle and Flanagan are set to swim in the 400 free relay. The Bisons broke a UPB pool record on their way to the District IX crown, and repeated that success with a regional title. The team will need another solid performance as the meet’s 16th seed.
The Lady Bisons have two swimmers competing in individual events. Carolyn Shurer will compete in the 500 free, while Chelsey Dufour will swim the 100 backstroke.
Shurer, a junior, earned district and regional titles, but enters the 500 free as the 29th seed. Dufour, a senior, is a District IX Champion and Regional Runner-up. She is currently ranked 21st in the backstroke.
Both Shurer and Dufour are returning state qualifiers.
Clearfield’s girls will also participate in the 200 free and medley relays, where they’re ranked 23rd and 24th, respectively.
The Lady Bison relay team of Dufour, Allison White, Shelbie King and Shurer will compete in the 200 medley. The team produced a District IX title, before coming up short in a second place finish at regionals.
Dufour, Branda Smeltzer, Shurer and Marisa Howell will swim in the 200 free. The girls took second at districts, before edging past Westmont Hilltop for the regional championship.
\”I expect all four [relay teams] to come back with better times,\” said Morrison. \”I expect them to work for each other and make no mistakes\” … \”They need to be accountable for each other. All four have to be firing. You have to do your job and be accountable to the other three. It’s like a chain and you’re only as strong as you’re links. If someone doesn’t give their best effort or makes a mistake, it’s going to break.\”
Also, competing are returning state qualifiers Steven and Jennifer Williams, who are set to take the boards in the one meter dive. Jennifer Williams won both the district and regional crowns, while Steven Williams was a runner-up at both meets. Steven and Jennifer Williams are seeded 17th and 18th, respectively.
As always, Morrison’s focus isn’t on winning medals; instead, she only asks her athletes to give 100 percent in their performances.
\”We’re very realistic. It’s an honor for some of them to just be there. We’re all going down and whether we’re 5th or 32nd, we’re going to represent Clearfield. What I’d like to see is 100 percent best times. That would be ideal and an awesome feat. If we did that, we’d be winners regardless of medals.\”
\”We can’t get caught up talking about medals,\” Morrison added. \”We cannot control what other swimmers do. We don’t allow them to talk about places, because you’d have to control other swimmers and we can’t do that. I promise you, John Lytle and I never discussed a state championship. It’s taboo. I just ask them to give their best performance, and if that means a top eight finish great.\”
The top eight swimmers and divers in each event will receive medals.
Complete Class AA Championship Schedule
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Session 1
6:15 a.m. – Sojka Pavillion opens
7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. – AA Girls’ swimming warm-ups (events 1,2,3,4,6 & 9)
7:30 a.m. – Admit spectators to balcony
8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – AA Girls’ Prelims (events 1,2,3,4,6, & 9)
Session 2
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. – AA Boys’ swimming warm-ups (events 1,2,3,4,6 & 9)
10:00 a.m. – Admit spectators to balcony
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – AA Boys’ Prelims (events 1,2,3,4,6, & 9)
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – AA Boys’ diving practice
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 12 AA swimming practice
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Districts 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 AA swimming practice
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – AA Girls’ diving warm-ups
1:30 p.m. – Admit spectators to balcony
2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – AA Girls’ Diving Championship
Session 3
5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. – AA Girls’ swimming warm-ups (events 1,2,3,4,6, & 9)
5:00 p.m. – Admit spectators to balcony
5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. – AA Girls’ Consolations and Finals (events 1,2,3,4,6, & 9)
Session 4
7:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – AA Boys’ swimming warm-ups (events 1,2,3,4,6, & 9)
7:30 p.m. – Admit spectators to balcony
8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. – AA Boys’ Consolations and Finals (events 1,2,3,4,6, & 9)
Thursday, March 15. 2007
Session 5
6:15 a.m. – Sojka Pavillion opens
7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. – AA Girls\’ swimming warm-ups (events 7,8,10,11, & 12)
7:30 a.m. – Admit spectators to balcony
8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – AA Girls\’ Prelims (events 7,8,10,11, & 12)
Session 6
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. – AA Boys’ swimming warm-ups (events 7,8,10,11, & 12)
10:00 a.m. – Admit spectators to balcony
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – AA Boys’ Prelims (events 7,8,10,11, & 12)
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – AA Boys’ diving warm-ups
1:30 p.m. – Admit spectators to balcony
2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – AA Boys’ Diving Championship
Session 7
5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. – AA Girls’ swimming warm-ups (events 7,8,10,11, & 12)
5:00 p.m. – Admit spectators to balcony
5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. – AA Girls’ Consolations and Finals (events 7,8,10,11, & 12)
AA Girls’ Team Awards
Session 8
7:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – AA Boys’ swimming warm-ups (events 7,8,10,11, & 12)
7:30 p.m. – Admit spectators to balcony
8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. – AA Boys’ Consolations and Finals (events 7,8,10,11, & 12)
AA Boys’ Team Awards