Times' 2008 All-County Swim Team
By Donna Skaggs
SWANSON AND MORRISON BOTH TAPPED "BOYS SWIMMER OF THE YEAR"
| Brad Morrison, Sr. (North Suncoast) | Conor Swanson, Sr. (Hillsborough) |
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Hillsborough:
BOYS SWIMMER OF THE YEAR:
CONOR SWANSON, SR.
Why we picked him: Picking Newsome’s Jason Taylor, who set a state record in the 500 free, was tempting, but Swanson was the county’s only multiple individual event state champion, winning the 200 IM (1:48.92) and 100 breast (56.29). He also swam one leg of Sickles’ second-place 200 free relay team and third-place 400 free relay at state. All four events were automatic All-America times.
Most impressive accomplishment: Last year, his 100 breast time was over a minute, but he has dropped his time by five seconds. He also cut his 200 IM time by nearly five seconds.
College plans: Swanson is undecided, but lists Georgia Tech as his leader because he wants to study engineering. But Florida State, Auburn and Texas, his longtime favorite, are also in the mix.
Did you know? In important meets, Swanson sometimes wears an inside-out Texas Longhorns swim cap and his team cap over it. “It kind of gets me going, gets my game face up,” Swanson said.
First team (Girls)
200 MR: Tampa Prep 9th@state (Grace Fredlake, Katie Carter, Emma Siewert)
200 IM: Fredlake
500 free: Fredlake
200 FR: Plant State Champ (Haley Hahmann, Rebecca Werdine)
100 breast: Megan Smith
400 FR: Plant 2nd@state ( Hahmann, Werdine)
Second Team (Girls)
50 free: Katie Cook
200 FR: Wharton (Blair Keuthe)
400 FR: Wharton (Keuthe)
Honorable Mention (Girls)
200 IM: Hahmann, Fredlake, Carter
50/100free: Werdine, Keuthe
400 FR: Paige Russell
200 FR: Cook, Fredlake, Carter
200 IM/100 fly: Siewert
First team (Boys)
200 IM: Conor Swanson (state champ)
100 fly: Dylan Attal
200 FR: Sickles 2nd@state (Andrew Howard, Swanson)
100 breast: Swanson (state champ)
400 FR: Sickles 3rd@state (Howard, Swanson)
Second Team (Boys)
50 free: Jordan Rees
200 MR: Ryan Poteat
100 free: Rees
200 FR: Attal, Swanson
400 FR: Attal, Swanson
Honorable Mention (Boys)
50 free: Chris Swanson
Pinellas:
First team (Girls)
100 free: Rachel Burns
200 MR: Countrysides 3rd@state (Courtney Grace, Burns)
400 FR: Countryside 4th@state ( Kelly Grace, Burns)
Second Team (Girls)
200 free: Burns
200 FR: Countryside ( C. Grace, K. Grace)
Honorable Mention (Girls)
50 free/100free: K. Grace
100 breast: Katie Torres
First team (Boys)
400 FR: Palm Harbor 2nd@state (Chris Mertens)
Second Team (Boys)
200 MR/IM: Mertens
200 FR: Countryside (John Kelly)
Honorable Mention (Boys)
100 breast: Mertens
North Suncoast:
BOYS SWIMMER OF THE YEAR:
BRAD MORRISON, SR.
Why we picked him: Morrison completed the trek that began as a freshman and spanned two schools, claiming the Class 2A state title in the 100-yard backstroke in 51.87, a personal record.
Best accomplishment: His winning time of 51.87 was a personal record, shattering his time from a year ago at state.
Future plans: Morrison is headed to Florida State where he will swim for the Seminoles. He also considered the University of New Orleans and Florida Atlantic.
Did you know? Morrison would probably be in search of an X Games career if he weren’t a swimmer. He stuck with swimming after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus after his freshman season. He used swimming to rehabilitate the knee and became a phenom in the process.
First team (Girls)
200 IM: Alex Pierovich
200 free: Cailen Smaga
First team (Boys)
100 back: Morrison (state champ)
500 free: Joey Geschke