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Weatherbie qualifies for state in 100-yard freestyle PDF Print E-mail
Sports
Written by David Wolman   
Wednesday, 17 December 2008 08:00
Just like last season, Osawatomie/Paola swimmer Alex Weatherbie will again compete in the state meet in multiple events.

Three days after qualifying for state in the 50-yard freestyle, Weatherbie qualified in the 100-yard freestyle — the two events he qualified for state in last season. He finished in a time of 51.81 seconds Dec. 9 at Blue Valley West.

But unlike last season, Weatherbie won’t be the lone Osawatomie/Paola swimmer to compete in the Feb. 20 state meet in Topeka. Jared Auten will join Weatherbie. Auten qualified in the 100-yard butterfly in 57.84 seconds.

Osawatomie/Paola coach Sarah Dorsett believes it was a reward for the hard work and focus Auten has displayed starting from the first day of practice.

“Jared came to the first day of practice ready to swim these times,” Dorsett said. “Last year, Jared was not even close to qualifying times like he is now. He has learned how to feel fast in the water with a smooth, slippery, streamlined stroke.”

Osawatomie/Paola, with 316 points, finished third in the team standings.

Nathan Laudan, Michael Del Valle and Austin Johnson have impressed Dorsett with their commitment to swimming in the 500-yard freestyle, an event in which Dorsett said a team can score a large chunk of points.

Laudan finished sixth in a time of 7 minutes, 2.52 seconds. Del Valle was eighth in 7:26.40 and Johnson was ninth in 7:52.78.

“Together they scored 33 points for the team Dec. 9, which is big,” Dorsett said. “That almost equals the points you can get for first- and second-place finishes combined. They are contributing in a big way.”

Osawatomie/Paola quickly turned around and took to the waters the following day, last Wednesday, at Bonner Springs. In what proved to be a close race for the team title, Osawatomie/Paola finished third with 427 points. Blue Valley, with 496 points, won the team title, followed by runner-up Olathe Northwest, which finished with 476 points.

It was the end to an exhausting first week to the season in which Osawatomie/Paola was competing in its third meet in five days.

“It was pretty mentally grueling, but the guys continued to improve,” Dorsett said. “I had two of my better swimmers out with illnesses and we still did very well.”

Auten had another big meet. He won both of his individual events — the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard butterfly — and was part of the winning 200-yard freestyle relay team and the 400-yard freestyle relay team that placed second.

Kyle Dietrich, who missed the first two meets recovering from nose surgery, Eli Waddle and Alec Burford teamed with Auten to win the 200-yard freestyle relay. Auten, Stetson Jackson, James Teuscher and Daniel Dorsett teamed to win the 400-yard freestyle relay.

Osawatomie/Paola will host the first of four home meets this season at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Miami County Family YMCA in Osawatomie.
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