What a way to go

Swimming World and Junior Swimmer, Aug 1998 by Ingram, Bob

The Bolles School won its fourth straight girls' title and first ever boys' championship to give Coach Gregg Troy a perfect sendoff.

They might not have known it at the time, but the swimmers of the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Fla., came up with the perfect going-away gift for their coach, Gregg Troy, who, months later, would accept the head women's coaching position at the University of Florida.

That was way back in November when both its boys' and girls' swimming teams dominated the Florida 4A Championships in Orlando. The rest of the high school season continued for another six months with state federations holding their championship meets at different times of the year until the boys and girls of California and Nevada and the girls of Missouri made their final splashes near the end of May.

When all the year's best times were put together and scored in Swimming World's national high school championships, Bolles emerged as double champions. First National Title

The Bolles boys had been close before, but, surprisingly, had never won a national title...until this year. They scored 158 points to beat Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) with 140 and the Peddie School (Hightstown, N.J.) with 131.

The Woodlands (Texas) was the top public school (and fifth overall) with 114 points, just behind St. Francis de Sales (Toledo, Ohio) at 118. A school from Texas has now won (or tied for) the boys' public school title the last seven straight years and nine of the last 10.

Leading the way for Bolles was sophomore Alex Lim, who finished first in the 100 fly and 100 back. Both of his victories came over Dan Westcott, a junior at The Woodlands. Lim took the fly, 48.17 to 48.56, and captured the backstroke by 1hundredth of a second with his 48.67.

Lim also swam backstroke on his team's winning 200 medley relay (1:32.07), along with Ansel Tam, Jay Lee and Mike Salerno. They beat Peddie, 1:32.07 to 1:32.23, but Peddie (Nick Kaschik, Kyle Egan, Jeff Miskis and Jay Sayko) proved to be the fastest in the 200 free relay with its 1:23.00. Bolles placed fifth in that event and second in the 400 free relay, behind St. Francis de Sales (John Carroll, Eric DiSalle, Jamie Leahy and Tony Kurth), 3:03.70 to 3:04.77.

All of the individual events last year were won by seniors, and three swimmers who finished runner-up a year ago took advantage of the vacated top spot. The new champions are seniors Leffie Crawford of Junipero Serra (San Mateo, Calif.) in the 50 (20.17p), Tim Siciliano of San Marcos, Calif. in the 500 (4:21.10) and Joey Montague of last year's team champion Cypress Creek (Houston, Texas) in the 200 IM (1:47.58).

In the 100 breast, junior Patrick Fowler of Seattle Prep, Wash. finished third last year-behind two seniors. He not only moved up to first place this year, but he became the fastest high school swimmer ever in the 100 breast with his independent school record of 53.66 and was named Swimming World's Male High School Swimmer of the Year (see story, page 26).

Matt Smart, a senior at Lincoln High in Stockton, Calif., was this year's fastest 100 freestyler (44.74) after not placing in last year's championships in any event. He also finished third in the 200, an event won by Chris Epp, a senior at Tom C. Clark High in San Antonio, Texas, with his 1:37.72.

Four Straight

The Bolles girls' fourth straight team title was done in convincing fashion. Their 240 points was more than double that of runner-up Carondelet of Concord, Calif.

The northern California school scored 107 points, ahead of Carmel, Ind., at 98-the top public school for the third time in the last four years.

The victory was also the Bolles girls' sixth independent school title-more than any other independent school-and Coach Troy was there for them all. Bolles first won an independent school championship in 1984, then repeated in 1985 before putting together its current streak.

Bolles dominated in every way possible. Kate Berquist, Brielle Bouee, Melissa Deary, Ashley Ellis, Ginny Johnson, Jenna Street and Ashley Whitney all scored points in individual events. Whitney, a senior, finished first in the 200 and 500 freestyles (1:47.20 and 4:44.54).

Bolles also swept the relays, taking the 200 medley (Ellis, Street, Katie Mizell and Lauren Martin) in 1:45.01; the 200 free (Berquist, Whitney, Martin and Street) in 1:35.19; and the 400 free (Ellis, Whitney, Deary and Berquist) in 3:26.66.

The meet's outstanding swimmer hailed from runner-up Carondelet. Natalie Coughlin, only a sophomore, set independent school records in three events. However, only her 100 back and 200 IM times were scored since swimmers are allowed two individual events at a championship meet.

Coughlin, named Swimming World's Female High School Swimmer of the Year (see story, page 30), became the fastest high school swimmer ever in the back and IM with times of 52.86 and 1:58.84. Her 100 back performance barely missed the American record of 52.71 ! She also swam 54.11 in the 100 fly at a dual meet earlier in the year, which bettered the independent school record set last year by Clara Ho of Moreau Catholic (Hayward, Calif.). Ho, a senior, clocked 54.34 this year-good enough to win the event and faster than her previous record, but not as fast as Coughlin's time.