PREP SWIMMING

Duo Casting Own Shadows

Swanson, Stumpf Now Taking Center Stage In Pool

By MATTHEW POSTINS "Tampa Tribune" correspondent

TAMPA - For years, Sickles High's Conor Swanson and Tampa Prep's Matt Stumpf were each the "little brother." Not that they minded, necessarily. Being the "little brother" is what brought them into swimming in the first place.

Both are coming off great high schools seasons in their own right in 2006.
Swanson finished fifth in the 200-yard individual medley and fourth in the 100 backstroke at the FHSAA Class 3A state meet last year. Stumpf believes his training buddy - they both swim for Tampa Bay Aquatics - has the stuff to win a state title in either event by the time he leaves high school.

Stumpf, a senior, finished fourth in the Class 1A 100 breaststroke and 14th in the 200 IM at state last year, and Swanson believes Stumpf has his eye on a top-three finish - or better - in the 100 breast.
This prep swimming season the pair are among the top swimmers in Hillsborough County, and with their older brothers now graduated, the stage is finally theirs.

"I was following Cory's shadow all the way through," Conor said of his older brother. "He was one of the fastest 14-year-olds ever and living up to his reputation was impossible because he was so much bigger than me. But he helped me with every single part of swimming. He had an incredible influence on me."

Conor grew up in New England, and as a child joined, along with his older brothers, one of Boston's most prestigious swimming clubs. Before the family moved to Tampa, Cory won two Massachusetts state championships in the 50 and 100 freestyle. He was also a three-time junior nationals gold medalist. Cory is now swimming as a sophomore at Florida State University.
Conor did not follow his older brother into the sprints. Cory is 6-foot, while Conor is 5-8, 140 pounds, and describes himself as "not much."

That all changes when you add water, Stumpf said. "It's strange sometimes," Stumpf said. "It's jaw dropping. He's not intimidating looking at all - and there are tons of those types - but he can keep up."

Stumpf learned that when they began training with each other for the 200 IM.
"It's frustrating when he's this little kid and he's going way longer than me," Stumpf said.
Stumpf admits that while the IM is Conor's signature event, he gravitates more toward the breaststroke. Stumpf is angling for a state win in that specialty.
He saw the breaststroke as a way to set himself apart from his older brother, Ryan, who graduated Tampa Prep last spring and is now in boot camp at the Naval Academy. In fact, these close brothers haven't spoken since Ryan left due to boot camp regulations. Matt said it's the longest the pair has gone without speaking.

Like Conor, Matt went into swimming as a youngster following his older brother's example.
"When he went to the pool, I was supposed to be doing that," Matt said. "It wasn't negative pressure. We grew up together. It couldn't have worked out better. "He's among the most influential people besides my coaches."

Stumpf and Swanson became training partners and friends quickly when the Swanson family moved to Tampa. They live nearby and usually swim at the same pools for training. In fact, they've worked together so much in club workouts that Stumpf said their practice results for the IM have become easy to predict. He usually takes the butterfly and the breaststroke, and Swanson takes the backstroke - his best stroke - and the free.

IM training is different, Stumpf said, in that swimmers do individual legs at a high pace, instead of draining themselves with 200-yard reps using all four strokes. Swanson, both agree, usually has a slight edge overall during practice. But no matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to beat Stumpf's time in the breaststroke during meets.

"He continually gets fast," Swanson said. "I'm impressed by how fast he's getting. I just don't understand it. He works really hard. I guess we both surprise each other sometimes."
Their practice sessions are intense and designed to help them excel on a national level. They've allowed Swanson and Stumpf to develop a reputation in Hillsborough County as two of its fastest swimmers - and to emerge from the shadows of their older siblings. Those are the races meet directors should sell tickets to, Swanson said.

"That's the one time we're truly racing [each other] - at practice," he said. "You can see who's fastest."

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Matthew Postins