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From Russia With Freestyle

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By DAREK SHARP, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 27, 2007

Updated: 10/25/2007 10:44 pm

PLANT CITY - It's unusual advice, but in swimming it fits.

Especially for competitors in the quickest race, the 50-yard freestyle, it's better not to breathe. That's a point the Plant City High swim coaches are working on with Nikita Markov, the top performer on the boys team.

'We keep trying to tell him, 'Don't breathe so much,'' said Plant City coach Corrie Rennick.
Markov is digging into his first long stint in the States. After a couple of years of shuttling back and forth to Russia, Markov has decided to stay in Florida with his mother, Svetlana.

The 15-year-old sophomore began swimming four years ago. He will be competing in two events at today's Class 3A-Region 2 swim meet at the Sarasota YMCA. Markov finished third in the 50-yard freestyle and in fourth in the the 100 at last week's District 3A-4 event at the Bobby Hicks Pool in South Tampa.

As Markov finished up a strong 50-yard preliminary race, he was greeted with congratulations - and some breathing tips.

'You took nine breaths in 23 seconds! Imagine how fast you could have gone if you wouldn't breathe so much,' Rennick said.

Markov's teammates, Stephanie Barker and Anna Palermo, were double race winners at the district meet and hope to perform well enough today to qualify for the state meet.

Other Raiders to advance to the regional level individually were freshman Haleigh Reavill for the girls team and Blair Butler for the boys.

Durant's Erin Hofrichter won the 200-yard individual medley district race and will compete in that and the 100-yard freestyle today.

For the Cougar boys, Eddie Bandi qualified in two races, winning the backstroke. Rachel Boston, Sarah Carlos, Harrison Campo and Chris Beauchamp made it to Sarasota as well.

Saturday's regional champions will automatically qualify for the state meet next weekend in Orlando. In addition, the 23 next fastest swimmers from across the state will make it there.

For Plant City, Barker (50-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly) was a thorn to the Wharton Wildcats on Thursday. Wharton claimed the overall championship, but in both of Barker's individual races, Wildcat swimmers finished 2-3-4 behind her.

Palermo is taking part in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard freestyle, the two events she won at districts.

Caitlyn Chandler, Palermo, Barker and Reavill make up the 200-yard medley relay and 200-yard freestyle relay teams, both of which qualified for regional.

The boys 200-yard freestyle relay squad of Butler, Johnnie Byrd, Scott Manfre and Markov barely edged out Durant for the last regional spot.

Bandi led the Cougar boys with a first-place district effort in the backstroke. Campo, Butler, Bandi and Ray Santiesteban were good enough in the 200-yard medley relay to make it to Sarasota.

Swimming preliminary races start at 9 a.m. today. Diving competition begins at 11 a.m. Durant, with seniors Kaylee Doback and Chris Plante, has the top-seeded diver in both fields.

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