State Meet | Swimmers
Published 3:29 pm Thursday, February 17, 2011
(The Review will be at the state meet providing live updates. You can follow reporter John Becerra Jr. at http://twitter.com/#!/birsports.)
Bainbridge boys swim head coach Kaycee Taylor said he’s confident that Andrew McCarthy can reach the top level in the 500 freestyle at the 3A state swim and dive meet at the King County Center in Federal Way.
McCarthy, who collected league and district wins in the 500 freestyle this season, is currently seeded first going into prelims. McCarthy is two seconds ahead of Liberty’s Logan Briggs.
The junior is seeded fourth in the 200 freestyle and will also swim for two of the relay teams. All three are seeded tenth or higher, with the 400 freestyle relay team in fourth.
Another strong contender for a state title is Colin Chupik.
The junior has seen his times drop over the season and it has earned him a third seed in the 50 freestyle and a fourth seed in the 100 freestyle.
“I want to get in the top three (in both events) and I think I have a good chance,” Chupik said of his odds at earning a medal.
He said the key will be his mechanics and whether he mistimes a turn or has a poor start off the blocks.
Though Taylor said Chupik will have a tough road to travel in the 100 free, with Eastside Catholic’s Ethan Hallowell looking for his fourth straight title in that event, he said he’s got a good shot in the 50 free.
“He can certainly be top three,” he said. “It’s a crazy race where someone slips or nails a turn and then our guys can move up or down. If all the things are in order” he can win.
Several other swimmers will be in contention to place at the state meet.
Andrew’s younger brother Todd, a freshman, is ranked fifth in both the 200 free and the 500 free.
Spencer Alpaugh is ranked ninth in both the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle, while Alex Nowjack earned a wild-card entry into the 100 backstroke.
Taylor is excited to see the trio make it to the state meet.
“Everyone is thinking about Andrew, but Todd beat Andrew in prelims for the 200 free (at districts),” he said. “He’s so versatile – we could have put him in any event at state and he could have done well.”
“I’d like to see Spencer have a breakout race,” Taylor continued. “I know Alex can go faster than 59 (seconds).”
Taylor hopes the team can get over the hump and bring a trophy home, but they will have to deal with Metro rivals O’Dea and Lakeside, not to mention the defending champs in Mercer Island.
“I’d love to have the kids have that trophy to hold onto and take a picture of, but all we can do is swim our best and see what the other teams do,” he said.
“We’re on that bubble. We can go either way.”
