With performances like this, Westlake cut through the competiton to take home the team title in the Fairview Relays. (Photo by Larry Bennet)

Demons splash to win, Pirates take second
By Matt Pawlikowski
Sports
Published Dec. 6, 2006

The way to measure greatness when it comes to swimming is by besting a time established by Akron Firestone High School, which for years has dominated the state swim scene.

Rocky River’s girls also had a nice showing at the Fairview Relays. (Photo by Larry Bennet)

While it’s too early to dictate just how great Westlake’s boys team will be this year, a good sign came from its performance at the 42nd annual Fairview Relays this past weekend.

Westlake won the boys meet by 11 points over former SWC rival Rocky River, 88-77, but more impressive in the 12 team event, was the fact Demons swimmers broke two records, which were held by Firestone and dated back 41 years.

The boys team of  “Russia”, Doug Aster, Dan Lammers, and Brandon Tabor, hit 1:43.88 in the 200 Butterfly relay, to crush Firestone’s mark of  1:45.30, which was set in 1966, while the 200 medley relay of Bobby Knurek, Matt Maciag, Tabor and Lammers clocked a 1:45.53, to inch by Firestone’s old record of 1:45.70, which also was set in 1966.

“They are one of the dominating teams in the state, and have such a legacy,’’ said Tabor. ‘‘ Those records have lasted so long, and to finally be able to break it, it means much more than beating one that someone set last year. We wanted those records, that was our main goal. Our coach wants us to come back in 60 years and see these records being broken again.”

Lammers, who anchored the Medley to victory agreed with his teammate as they hoisted up the team trophy following the meet.

“Firestone is a great team, and our coach actually told us about those records, and how we were going to be going for them.’’ said Dan Lammers, who was a member of both relays. “We definitely loaded up our relays to beat those, and it felt really good to beat them.’’

As for taking the championship, which was Westlake’s second in a row, Lammers gave credit to the freshman class that came in.

“We have a real good freshman class that came in and they are really good,’’he said with a laugh. Maybe better than my class, so they should help us keep on going.”

The Demons also won the backstroke relay with a time of 2:03.5.

Host Fairview finished fifth in the meet, with three top six finishes, highlighted by a first place by Matt Furlong, Will Rehnert, Eric Langley and Scott Fassett in the Crescendo relay. 

Bay was ninth in the meet with 37 points as was North Olmsted, while Olmsted Falls took home tenth place with 27 points.

In girls meet action, Rocky River led all locals with its second place finish behind Elyria Catholic.

“I’m proud of everyone,’’ said Molly Stark. “We all try really hard, and work just as hard, this is nice.”

Coach Elizabeth Leonard had a good idea that her team would swim well, considering the amount of time that they had spent in the pool this week.

“We’ve been swimming a lot of yards this week, and we had a good meet on Friday night, and swam on Tuesday, so we’ve been busy all week,’’ said Leonard. “I’m very happy with how we did.”

Leonard had every reason to be smiling after the meet, as her 400 Intermediate Relay team of  Abby Kacpura, Molly Stark and Ashley Hughes, Katie Sherry, took home first with a time of 4:36.18.

‘’It was so tight at the end, and Katie came in; it was remarkable,’’ said Hughes. “It feels really good I enjoyed that, especially beating Westlake.”

Westlake took home third with 67 points, while Olmsted Falls took home fourth, nailing down 66 points.

The Demons got its top finish in the 200-medley relay, with its first place finish as Abby Deleve, Katie Knurek, Alaine Perconti and Casey Hamilton clocked a 2:00.06.

Olmsted Falls’ top relays, the 200 breast-stroke and the 200-backstroke relay, each were third.

The Fairview girls finished in ninth place overall, with Kelsey Kilbane, Jany Pozydaey, Natalie Moore and Diana Mruk earning a third place finish in the 500 Crescendo Relay. The same foursome finished sixth in the 400 freestyle relay.

“We’re young, and have a lot of inexperience,’’ said Fairview coach Judi Norton.“ But they swam well, and so did our boys.”

North Olmsted and Bay each tied for ninth. The Eagles got a second place finish from its 200 freestyle relay, while Bay’s top finish was second in the 200-breaststroke relay.