Late surge helps Generals’ swim team grab piece of NEAC hardware

  • brian questel
  • December 14, 2011
  • 340
                        
121711 NEACRelaysgirls Promo: Wooster girls rally back to grab share of NEAC Relays swim championship Late surge helps Generals’ swim team grab piece of NEAC hardware By Brian Questel The Wooster Generals were down, but they certainly weren’t out. Winning three of the last five events, the Generals rallied to grab a piece of the Northeast Aquatic Conference Relays title, scoring 138 points to share the crown with Youngstown Boardman. Both teams had a comfortable margin over GlenOak (88), Canfield (84) and Perry (78), while Warren Harding and Kent Roosevelt tied for sixth with 70 points. Massillon was last with 44 points. It was a win that helped build excitement and momentum as the Generals crept closer score-wise as the end of the meet drew closer. “It was totally exciting,” said Wooster coach Chris Matthew. “We were down 20 points when they announced the scores after event 10 (the halfway point of the meet), but we won event 11 (the 200 free relay), which made it 12 points. We were sorta tallying the scores up and the girls started getting pumped. “We won three of the last five events. We’ve never won that many before (in this meet). Usually it’s only one or two.” The Generals were still trailing entering the final event, the 400 free relay. When Matthew trotted out three freshmen – Anna Tieche, Allison Amstutz and Sydney Wenger – and sophomore Madison Gingery, her instructions were clear: Wooster had to win, but it also had to have some help. That happened as Wooster won the race in 3:57.58 and Canfield slipped into second, ahead of Boardman. “I told them it comes down to if we get first and they get third, we tie,” said Matthew. “I thought they would have more guns at the end. I didn’t have my top four, but those three freshmen and that sophomore … are pretty good. I didn’t put pressure on them, but I said if we win, we could win the meet. We were not ahead until Sydney Wenger pulled ahead in the last 50. “They didn’t succumb to the pressure. We were cheering on Canfield, because they had to get second, but we showed a lot of heart. We have a lot of young kids who are doing well and they showed their worth. They didn’t get nervous; they got pumped and that’s great.” The win in event 11 was the 200 free relay, which jump-started the Generals. Wenger had a hand in that, joining Kate Persinger, Jillian Perry and Gabrielle Sibilia as they went 1:46.18 for a 5-second win. The 200 breaststroke relay accounted for the third blue ribbon as Danielle Tooley, Lauren Miller, Rebecca Cornelius and Emily Cornelius finished with a 3-second win with their 2:19.95 showing. Wooster picked up a second in the girls diving, which included Persinger and Liz Wagoner, as well as in the 200 back behind the efforts of Sibilia, Perry, Amstutz and Gingery (2:04.77). Wooster got thirds from the 200 medley of Sibilia, Tooley, Wenger and Persinger (1:59.60); the 100 free relay finished with a 53.54 with the quartet of Rebecca Pittard, Lindsay McMichael, Rebecca Cornelius and Kylie McMichael, and the 250 crescendo unit of Margaret Moodispaw, Tooley, Tieche and Gingery touched in 2:43.30. Wooster’s lowest finishes of the day were fourths in the 200 fly as Perry, Tieche, Miller and Emily Cornelius finished with a 2:02.35, while the 400 IM relay of Amstutz, Miller, and both Cornelius’s turned in a 4:43.41. “We saw kids swim things we didn’t know much about,” said Matthew. “We have 3-4 girls injured. …Anna Tieche had an important fly leg and she was fast. We haven’t seen swim much since she’s been injured and she’s been doing a lot of kicking. Wenger, Tieche, Wenger Amstutz all swam great. “Gingery has started the season with all PBs – she’s stepped up. Amstutz has a great work ethic and Danielle Tooley is faster than last year. Emily Cornelius has done almost all PBs this season – she’s been fun to watch and she’s much stronger. She trained year-round and all summer. She’s someone I’m excited about. Our divers helped. Kate looked great on the board. She’s a new diver … she’ll be a scorer at the two conference meets.” Matthew was been pleased with the Generals’ start, which included a dual-meet win over Ashland. “Historically we haven’t always done that great in the early season,” she said. “Looking at this team it’s different – we have more years-round swimmers and you’re seeing that. It’s showing.” Both swim teams will be at Cleveland State to compete in the Viking Invitational December 17.


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