Hinshaw brothers, Francis star for Brookside

By Dick Sparrer

The Brookside Swim Team will never be the same. Well, at least the team's record books will never be the same after the sensational showing by the Brookside Waves at the Junior Swim League championships held in July at Saratoga High School.

Brookside swimmers broke six club records, two of them also new league standards, and three Waves also won high-point awards as the Saratoga club wrapped up the 2001 summer season with a spectacular performance at the finals.

The record-breaking day helped Brookside to a solid third-place finish in the league championship meet. Cupertino Hills won the meet with Laurelwood Swim Club second and Brookside third.

Adam Hinshaw, Alexa Francis and Ben Hinshaw each walked off with the top awards in their age divisions after record-setting efforts at the league meet.

A. Hinshaw was the boys high-point winner, and Francis tied for the girls high-point award in the 7-8 age group, and B. Hinshaw won high point honors in the boys 9-10 division.

High-point runnerup awards went to Victoria Rizzo in the girls 6-and-under class and to Lauren Opatrny in the girls 9-10 division.

Francis and A. Hinshaw were each members of the 7-8 relay team that set a new league record. The two joined with Amy Drozdiak and Caroline Diehl to turned a 1:12.93, setting the new league mark and also crushing the old Brookside club record by three seconds.

Opatrny and B. Hinshaw teamed with Brad Murray and Sara Markwith to set a new league and club record in the 9-10 relay in 1:03.37.

The Hinshaw brothers didn't stop there. They set two more club records apiece, each of them finishing the season undefeated.

A. Hinshaw set new club marks in the 7-8 butterfly and freestyle events. At 7 years old, he still has another year to compete in the age group.

B. Hinshaw breezed to new Brookside records in the freestyle and breaststroke events.

The Hinshaws shared the season high-point award for Brookside after their undefeated seasons.

Club high point winners by age group included: Boys-- Kevin Scott (6-and-under), A. Hinshaw (7-8), B. Hinshaw (9-10), Ryan Hinshaw (11-12), Scott Cruikshank (13-14) and Matt Linsky (15-16); Girls-- Cristina Polini (6-and-under), Francis (7-8), Opatrny (9-10), Kelly Eisenberg (11-12), Sara Clark (13-14) and Claire Koen (15-16).

High point runnerup winners in the different age groups were: Boys-- Dustin DeFrank (6-and-under), Chris Reis (7-8), Murray (9-10), Vali Barsan (11-12), Mike Sample (13-14) and Justin Lerman (15-16); Girls-- Victoria Rizzo (6-and-under), Diehl (7-8), Markwith (9-10), Kathryn Kleckner (11-12), Julie Eisenberg (13-14) and Heidi Cruikshank (15-16).

Age group best all-around award winners for the club were: Boys-- Ryan Trahan (6-and-under), Matt Opatrny (7-8), Andy Scott (9-10), Bobby Mora (11-12) and Ted Koen (13-14); Girls-- Rebecca Alberts (6-and-under), Drozdiak (7-8), Lindsey Oosterhouse (9-10), Ashley Rehkemper (11-12), Laura Balaban (13-14) and Maddy deSimone (15-16).

Selected as the club's most inspirational swimmers for the 2001 season were Alex Douglas and J. Eisenberg, and coach's awards went to Reis and L. Opatrny.

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