Swimming: Pine Crest Knocks Off Powerhouse Bolles In Dual-Meet

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On paper, longtime Pine Crest swim coach Jay Fitzgerald knew he had something special with the girls' team. Now, he's seen it in the pool.

The undefeated Panthers (11-0) are coming off back-to-back days of eye-opening performances.

On Friday, Pine Crest knocked off former mythical national champion and defending state 1A champion Jacksonville Bolles breaking a 20-year dual meet losing streak.

Bolles has won 23 girls state team titles including the last 19. Last year Pine Crest was fourth in the 1A state meet.

The girls team won by 11 points, 160-149. The Panthers won 10 out of all 12 events including all three relay events. Alexandra Meszaros and Andrea Santander were double winners. They also took the top four spots in the 1-meter springboard diving event.

Less than 24 hours later, the girls captured the 53rd annual Woodson Invitational that featured Bolles, St. Andrew's, Trinity Prep and Bishop Verot. Pine Crest won with 283 and Bolles was third with 197.

"It was a great team effort," Fitzgerald said. "It wasn't just about the swimmers who won their races but other swimmers contributed, too. It shows we are a player and will be right there."

"Bolles has been and still is Bolles," Fitzgerald said. "We came close in 2006, we just needed a couple more players to fill out the depth."

Pine Crest has a storied history in swimming. The Panthers have won their share of state titles (27) but last won in 1990, having to settle for 11 runner-up finishes to Bolles.

In the boys' competition, Bolles defeated Pine Crest, 193-112, in the dual meet winning seven of the 12 events. Bolles also won the Woodson boys title with 217 points. Pine Crest was third.

U.S. junior national team member and three-time high school state champion Marta Ciesla was voted the Ann Marshall Award for the most outstanding girl swimmer of the meet. It was the second consecutive year she won the award. Ciesla swept the 50- and 100-yard freestyles and was a member of the winning 200-yard medley and 200-yard freestyle relays.

"I am so happy for our team because I know how hard we have been working," Ciesla said. "We knew we had an amazing team and now we are doing it in the pool. This was a confidence-builder and something special. It's so exciting."

Nico Ferrara of Pine Crest was voted the Andy Coan Award for most outstanding boy swimmer. Both Marshall and Coan, former highly-decorated Pine Crest swimmers, were on hand to present the swimmers the awards.
Ferrara won the 50-yard freestyle, was second in the 100-yard freestyle and member of the winning 200-yard freestyle relay.

University School's Patrick Groters won the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard individual medley in 1:51.52, knocking off Bolles' Santi Corredor in 1:52.66.

Kyla Valls of Ransom-Everglades was a double winner in the 500-yard freestyle in 4:56.65 and 200-yard freestyle in 1:49.46.

WOODSON RESULTS

GIRLS RESULTS

GIRLS: 1. Pine Crest 283, 2. St. Andrew's 219, 3. Jacksonville Bolles 197, 4. Trinity Prep 129, 5. Bishop Verot 101, 6. University School 73, 7. Calvary Christian 69, 8. Westminster Academy 68, 9. Berkeley Prep 67, 10. Boca Raton 56.

200-yard medley relay: 1. Pine Crest 1:47.70 (Annabella Lyn, Hannah Virgin, Andrea Santander, Marta Ciesla), 2. Trinity Prep 1:48.94, 3. St. Andrew's 1:50.72.

200-yard freestyle: 1. Kyla Valls, RE 1:49.46, 2. Alexandra Meszaros, PC 1:52.62, 3. Rachel Contich, CALV 1:53.91.

200-yard individual medley: 1. Andrea Santander, PC 2:06.39, 2. Shayna Fetes, SAS 2:07.72, 3. Hannah Virgin, PC 2:08.81.

50-yard freestyle: 1. Marta Ciesla, PC 22.79, 2. Jessica Nava, WA 23.51, 3. Cathy Cooper, AH 23.88.

1-meter springboard diving: 1. Maia Goldstein, US 460.10, 2. Daniela Castillo, SAGE 456.80, 3. Juliette Pozzuoli, PC 423.70.

100-yard butterfly: 1. Claire Maiocco, TP 54.50, 2. Alexandra Meszaros, PC 56.50, 3. Molly See, PC 58.21.

100-yard freestyle: 1. Marta Ciesla, PC 49.69, 2. Cathy Cooper, AH 51.41, 3. Andrea Santander, PC 52.35.

500-yard freestyle: 1. Kyla Valls, RE 4:56.65, 2. Rachel Contich, CALV 5:01.20, 3. Hannah Van Dress, BV 5:08.63.

200-yard freestyle relay: 1. Pine Crest 1:38.79 (Marta Ciesla, Alexandra Meszaros, Hannah Virgin, Marissa Brannan), 2. St. Andrew's 1:38.81, 3. Berkeley 1:42.97.

100-yard backstroke: 1. Jessica Nava, WA 55.65, 2. Lauren Hew, SAS 58.40, 3. Allison Kopas, US 58.48.

100-yard breaststroke: 1. Hannah Virgin, PC 1:05.80, 2. Shayna Fetes, SAS 1:06.21, 3. Victoria Miyamoto, BR 1:06.51.

400-yard freestyle relay: 1. Pine Crest 3:34.02 (Andrea Santander, Marissa Brannan, Annabella Lyn, Alexandra Meszaros), 2. St. Andrew's 3:34.72, 3. Trinity Prep 3:34.99.

BOYS RESULTS

BOYS: 1. Bolles 217, 2. St. Andrew's 159, 3. Pine Crest 156, 4. Berkeley Prep 153, 5. Trinity Prep 136, 6. Belen Jesuit 95, 7. Boca Raton 92, 8. University School 78, 9. Ransom Everglades 56, 10. American Heritage 50.

200-yard medley relay: 1. Bolles 1:36.99 (Matt Serra, Paul DeGrado, Ariel Spektor, John Pate), 2. St. Andrew's 1:40.35, 3. Belen Jesuit 1:42.00 (Alejandro Carriazo, Juan Ramirez, Andres Solares, Daniel Simpson).

200-yard freestyle: 1. Robert Cecil (TB) 1:41.23, 2. Daniel Jacobs, US 1:42.26, 3. Nathan Stovern, TB 1:42.56.

200-yard individual medley: 1. Patrick Groters, US 1:51.52, 2. Santi Corredo, JB 1:52.66, 3. Adan Diaz, WESP 1:55.98.

50-yard freestyle: 1. Nico Ferrara, PC 21.29, 2. Christian Soderberg, PC 22.04, 3. Jan Collazo-Torres, TP 22.14.

1-meter springboard diving: 1. Kevin Mendez, PC 516.35, 2. Lyle Hayes-Macaluso, PC 440.15, 3. Javier Saumell, BJ 367.80.

100-yard butterfly: 1. Ariel Spektor, JB 50.03, 2. Matt Serra, JB 50.45, 3. Matthew Degtyar, TP 51.24.

100-yard freestyle: 1. Robert Cecil, TB 46.48, 2. Nico Ferrara, PC 46.83, 3. Nathan Stovern, TB 47.11.

500-yard freestyle: 1. Santi Corredor, JB 4:32.80, 2. Daniel Jacobs, US 4:36.34, 3. Nicholas Pacitti, AH 4:47.94.

100-yard backstroke: 1. Patrick Groters, US 51.04, 2. Elvis Kotikovski, PC 51.57, 3. Matthew Degtyar, TP 52.75.

100-yard breaststroke: 1. Izaak Bastian, SAS 7.53, 2. Adan Diaz, WESP 57.97, 3. Paul DeGrado, JB 1:00.82.

400-yard freestyle relay: 1. Bolles 3:10.20, 2. Berkeley 3:10.99, 3. Trinity Prep 3:12.33.