CCS placers back in the water for Gatos swim, diving teams
By Dick Sparrer
Stacie Lonaker can't help but be optimistic as she looks ahead to the swimming and diving season at Los Gatos this spring.
After all, the Wildcats feature some pretty talented returners as they dive into the 2000 campaign in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
With solid swimmers Alix Eastman and Marian Roan and talented sophomore diver Sara Clark leading the girls, and top diver Nathan Sheffer and strong swimmer Bobby Crowder leading the boys, Lonaker has high hopes for the coming year. "I'm expecting both teams to swim well in the league as well as in CCS," said Lonaker. "Both teams have a strong group of returning swimmers."
Eastman, a senior, is back in the pool for the Cats after finishing second in both the 200-yard freestyle and 500 free at the CCS finals last spring. Roan, a sophomore, joins Eastman as a top-notch distance freestyler for Los Gatos. Roan was a CCS qualifier last year. Clark is back on the diving board after finished second at the CCS finals a year ago.
Kelly Weeks, a senior transfer from North Carolina, will give Los Gatos another solid swimmer in the distance free events, and freshmen Catherine Eastman (distance free), Laura Davis (butterfly, individual medley) and Rebecca Stein (freestyle sprints, fly) are other top first-year prospects.
"The girls have a very strong freshman class, which will help in making the team much more competitive than last year," said Lonaker.
The Los Gatos boys are led by Crowder and Sheffer, who both placed at the CCS finals last season. Crowder, a junior who holds the school record in the 100 backstroke, finished first in the 100 back and second in the 200 IM at the CCS finals in 1999. Sheffer, also a junior, was third in the CCS diving finals and returns to lead a talented corps of Gatos divers this spring.
Freshman Richard Crowder is a top prospect in the 50 free and 500 free for the Wildcats.
|
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
