for local teams time to sink or swim ar 543199

Four full Hernando County teams will enter The Long Center in Clearwater this morning, ready to compete in the Class 2A, District 5 Meet.

By the end of the day, only a handful of swimmers figure to still have sand left in the hourglass that is their season.

Most of them just won’t know one way or another.

Such is life in prep swimming at this time of year, as the state series kicks off with district meets this week.

Central, Hernando, Nature Coast and Springstead will all be in Clearwater today. Prelims start at 9 a.m., with finals at 5 p.m.

Only winners of each event will know for sure they have advanced to next Thursday’s 2A-Region II Meet at the YMCA Aquatic Family Center in Orlando.

The best at-large times within the region will complete the 24-swimmer field for individual events, or the 16-team field for relays, to be announced once all the region’s district meets are complete.

No county squad faces higher expectations than Springstead.

During the regular season, the boys and girls each finished with 9-2 marks, losing only to Crystal River and Lecanto.

The Eagles own the county’s finest seasonal time in every event among both male and female swimmers with the same exception for both genders – the 50-yard freestyle.

Plus last year at this same meet Springstead placed fourth for the boys and fifth for the girls, sending six individuals along with four relays to regionals.

“We’ve been working hard,” Springstead head coach Wayne Withington said. “Hopefully we place better than last year. It’s looking that way.

“I’m looking to get third for both the boys and girls.”

Two swimmers in particular have a strong chance to clinch a regional berth.

Among the boys, junior Morgan Kiloh, a 2011 regional qualifier, is seeded first in the 100 free with a 51.11. The next closest is Sunlake’s Tyler St. Onge, at nearly two minutes slower (53.00).

Kiloh has put together an impressive season to this point, pacing the county in six events: the 200 free, 200 IM, 100 fly, 100 free, 500 free and 100 back. He’s also part of the county’s fastest teams in each of the three relays.

In addition to the 100 free, he’ll compete in the 200 free at the district meet, and comes in seeded fourth (1:54.73).

Meanwhile, junior Monica Surrena seeks a repeat district crown in the 200 free, though she enters seeded second (2:02.61) to Land O’ Lakes’ Krystin Demsher (2:02.39).

She’s second in the 500 free, as well, her 5:32.51 behind Sunlake’s Nicole Harder (5:28.83).

Surrena has gone to regionals in those two events each of the past two years, and is the only county swimmer to reach a regional championship final during that span, both times in the 200.

However, she has twice fallen short in her bid to go to states. The county hasn’t produced a state qualifier since 2008.

Another potential regional candidate from the Eagles is senior Charlie Watson, who made it to that point in 2011 in both the 200 IM and 100 fly.

This year, he’s seeded fourth in the IM (2:18.80) and ninth in the 100 breast (1:12.64).

Freshman Allyson Fielder could continue a strong rookie campaign that already has her leading the county in the 100 free (1:01.19).

That time seeds her sixth in the district, and a 2:16.01 ranks 10th in the 100 free.

Of course, Springstead should bring some relays to the regional meet, too.

“We don’t want to do any worse than last year,” Withington said. “If we tie or do better than last year, I’d be more than happy.”

The other county teams are looking for a handful of individuals to find postseason success.

Hernando junior Paisley Whitaker went to regionals in the 100 back two years ago, and has a shot to return, seeded eighth (1:14.33).

Or perhaps someone like Nature Coast’s Crystal Burchhardt, the county’s fastest girl in the 50 free (30.09) or Central’s Joey Brennan, the county’s best boy in that same race (25.62), can have a breakthrough performance.

“Our expectations are for everyone to beat their personal-best times,” Central head coach Sonya Burns said. “We have kids who have dropped 20-30 seconds since the beginning of the season.

“A couple of boys could possibly go to regionals if they swim their best. But we want to make sure it’s the best time all year (for all swimmers).”

The only county school not in 2A-5 is Weeki Wachee. Instead the Hornets will head to Gainesville for the 2A-4 Meet on Friday.

This event begins at 8 a.m. at the University of Florida’s Stephen C. O’Connell Center, and will employ timed finals rather than the typical format of prelims followed by finals.

Just as with 2A-5, swimmers at this meet can advance to 2A-II.

Despite the distant venue, Weeki Wachee is actually the host school. It works out for head coach Brandon Sedgley, a former Gator returning to old stomping grounds.

“I think we actually are going to have a pretty good showing,” Sedgley said. “We’ve just got to go cut a little bit of time and we might be sending a few to regionals.”

That’s something that didn’t happen in the Hornets’ previous two years of existence.

Jake Bence and Steven James could each rewrite that brief history in the 50 free, where they are seeded ninth and 10th respectively.

James has an even better shot in the 100 back, seeded sixth at 1:11.69, and Sedgley believes his boys 200-free relay might have a chance.

Among the Lady Hornets, Kyla Kelly figures to be the most likely regional qualifier. She ranks 11th in the 200 IM and 12th in the backstroke going in.

“It’s huge,” Sedgley said of someone potentially moving on.

“We’ve already gained so much respect around town and around school. We’ve really shown everybody (at the school) what it takes to be a swimmer, and going to meets and pulling off these wins, the kids’ confidence is so much better.”

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