March/April 2009, Banter: Barons Swimmers & Divers Remain in Division I; Boys Break Multiple Team Records
By Cinda Davey
The Barons’ Swim & Dive team held their own in
Division I this season, and will remain in the highest division of
MCPS swimming again next year. Their successes have been
a true team effort. Heading into the County Championship
meet, the Barons’ boys have gone 5-2 (3-2 in the division) and
the girls have gone 3-4 (1-4 in division). The competition in
Division I has been ferocious this year, with Churchill and WJ
dominating the season. Under the leadership of 1st year coach, Jason Blanken, B-CC has hung in there and had been highly
motivated, achieving best times and touch-outs to stay in the game and win in unexpected races. During the Division I relay
carnival, the 200 butterfly team of junior Michael Center, senior
Donzen Urubshurow, sophomore Bobby Witkop, and senior
Erik Klontz shattered the previous school record by almost
3 seconds with a time of 1:39.84. At Divisionals, senior captain
Erik Klontz and junior captain Michael Center both took 1st place
wins in the 50 yard freestyle and 100 yard freestyle, respectively. B-CC
divers placed 5th out of 21 teams at the County Dive Championship,
thanks to high marks from Alex Rigaux, Paul Brou, Lydia Marks, and
Lauren Beck. Another 3 boys’ team records were broken at the
Montgomery County Swim Championships including the 400 freestyle
relay record that had stood for 30 years! The new record holders, Michael
Center, Matt Davey-Karlson, Erik Klontz, & Zach Zinkgraf, went a
3:23.25. Michael Center set a new individual record in the 200 freestyle
(going 1:45.20) and the 200 freestyle relay team (Center, Klontz, Patrick Hearle, & Fred
Tjonneland) set a
new record of
1:33.88.
There will be no
shortage of Barons
swimmers and
divers at the highly
competitive Metros
Championship in
Germantown, as 15
athletes have earned
qualifying times and
will represent B-CC
in nearly every event
of the meet. Metros qualifiers include Center, Stefania D’Ambrosio,
Davey-Karlson, Chris Garrity, Hearle, Kinsey Hoffman, Klontz, Thomas
Pritchard, Michelle Szymczak, Fred Tjonneland, Ida Tjonneland, Emma
Tobey, Urubshurow, Witkop, and Zinkgraf.
As the season ends, the Barons will graduate swimmers and divers who
have been on the team for years. Congratulations to seniors Lauren Beck,
Emily Becker, Lauren Becker, Paul-Marie Brou, Eric Brumburgh, Alex
Cole, Matt Davey-Karlson, Deborah Detchon, Becca Dozier, Erik Klontz,
Trey LaFranchi, Patty Lora, Charlotte Steiner, Donzen Urubshurow,
Leah Walpuck, Ben Welna, and Zach Zinkgraf.
Feb. 8, DigitalSports.com: Swimming: Churchill boys and girls sweep Division I
Bulldogs beat Walter Johnson for the first time ever in Division I competition behind a deep field
INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS
Boys 50 Freestyle: Erik Klontz, Bethesda-Chevy Chase
Boys 100 Freestyle: Michael Center, Bethesda-Chevy Chase
Jan. 13, Gazette: Back to the pool
Return of two former swimmers bolsters B-CC's boys team
Bethesda-Chevy Chase senior Donzen Urubshurow is no stranger to the chlorinated waters of a swimming pool. But in a preseason scrimmage against Blair in November, he barely made it through one of his best events, the 200-yard individual medley.
It's not a surprising result for someone making his first foray into the pool after a three-year hiatus.
"I did the first 50 fly really fast and then I completely died," Urubshurow said. "I'd never been in that much pain. I forgot how long that was. I hadn't swam the 200 consistently in four years."
Urubshurow burst onto the county swimming scene as a freshman in 2005-06, with three top-10 finishes at the county championships and a top-15 at the prestigious Washington Metropolitan Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championships. He was pegged by coaches and peers as a swimmer to watch over the next three years of his high school career.
But the former Rockville-Montgomery Swim Club member had other ideas: He wanted to pursue a college baseball career. So, after the 2006 Metros, he quit swimming and set out to achieve that goal.
The Barons swimming team took a brief hiatus of its own that coincided with Urubshurow's. B-CC dropped from Montgomery Division I to Division II after the end of the 2006 season. But the school resurfaced among the county's elite this winter.
If first-year coach Jason Blanken's squad was going to be competitive in the county's top division, he was going to need more depth. Blanken went recruiting in his own halls.
Not only did he bring Urubshurow back into the fold, but also the former B-CC star's good friend Matt Davey-Karlson. Davey-Karlson also swam his freshman year, but spent the past two on the indoor track and field team.
"I knew Donzen's name and saw results from when he was younger and knew he was a good swimmer," Blanken said. "So I sent a couple of the kids I knew from club swimming out to try and see if he'd be interested in swimming again and convince him I was a nice enough guy. By the time the first team meeting rolled around, Donzen and Matt Davey-Karlsen were the first two guys I met standing right in the front of the room."
In the end, it actually did not take too much convincing. Urubshurow and Davey-Karlsen had always planned to get back to swimming senior year. They just wanted to take a break from swimming after training eight to 10 times a week with RMSC from the age of 8.
The two have added much-needed depth to the Barons boys, who are off to a respectable 2-1 start. Urubshurow (100 fly) and Davey-Karlson (100 breaststroke) have already qualified for Metros.
"Having someone like Donzen, who can swim almost every event and I can plug him in wherever we have holes, is definitely something that's nice to have," Blanken said. "Our weakest area is breaststroke, hands down. With Matt in there we know we're not going to get crushed. He can prevent sweeps; prevents some damage."
Swimming is like riding a bike: You don't forget. On the other hand, the sport requires a different type of endurance than running and lifting, which both athletes have spent the past three years doing to stay in shape.
So while the strokes are there for Urubshurow and Davey-Karlsen, it has been a struggle to get back to the level of swimming endurance they once had. But they're getting there.
Urubshurow has already dropped 6 seconds off his 100 fly, and his 56-second best time is faster than he swam the event as a freshman.
"I forgot how much swimming was a part of my life," Urubshurow said. "It's good to get back to what I used to be doing. I definitely have more appreciation for it. I'm more motivated. I want to put as much work as I can into getting faster because I know I've wasted a lot of time not being in the water."
This winter could be an historic one in Montgomery County swimming. The Good Counsel girls have won 13 consecutive Metropolitan Area Swimming and Diving Championships, while the Georgetown Prep boys won their fifth straight in 2007-08.
Both are still among the strongest in the area, but there are several teams ready to capitalize and catapult them off the pedestals they've held for so long.
Two-time defending Division I champion Walter Johnson, Churchill, Wootton, Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Sherwood and Whitman top the public school ranks. ...
* * *
Meet Reports:
Feb. 18-21: Metropolitan Swimming and Diving Championships
At the final championship of the season – the highly competitive “Metros” meet where area public and private schools face down for best times in all events – B-CC swam fast. The Gazette cited this meet as “…among the top-10 fastest high school swimming competitions in the nation.” With the pressure of those kinds of times, the Barons’ boys placed 11th of 30 participating schools, and the girls placed 27th, giving B-CC an overall 19th place finish. GO B-CC!
The girls’ 400 free relay team – junior captain Michelle Szymczak, freshmen Ida Tjonneland and Emma Tobey, and junior Stefania D’Ambrosio – made the final cut in 3:56.35. Due to illness, Stefania didn’t return for finals, but senior Lauren Becker ably substituted, and the team dropped yet another second off their finish time, placing 18th overall with a time of 3:55.21. The 200 medley relay team – Lauren Becker, along with seniors Deborah Detchon, captain Leah Walpuck, and Charlotte Steiner – swam a fast race and placed 27th in prelims, which wasn’t enough for the finals cut. The 200 freestyle relay team – Ida Tjonneland, Lauren Becker, Emma Toby, and Leah Walpuck – just barely missed the 2-heat cut at prelims, placing 21st overall and returning for finals as the first alternate team.
Among individuals swimming, Michelle Szymczak dropped her 200 freestyle time to 2:05.19 in prelims and dropped over a second from her 500 freestyle seed time to place 27th out of 50 qualifiers with 5:31.86. Stefania D’Ambrosio made the cut for 100 breaststroke finals, but couldn’t swim due to illness. During the evening finals, Ida Tjonneland represented B-CC proudly, placing 16th in the 50 freestyle with a time of 25.67 and placing overall 9th in the 100 freestyle where she lowered her time to 55.27. In the difficult 100 fly, Emma Tobey and junior Kinsey Hoffman swam the prelims, placing just outside the cut for finals. Emma also swam the 100 backstroke at prelims, finishing in 1:06.31.
The boys’ team did really well in their relays: The 400 freestyle relay team, who broke the 30-year-old B-CC record at Counties by a mere half-second, shattered that old record by a full 3 seconds at Metros prelims, going 3:20.85! In the final championship swim, the team – seniors Erik Klontz, Zach Zinkgraf, and Matt Davey-Karlson, along with junior captain Michael Center – placed 10th overall. Their names now replace those of 1979’s long-standing record holders – Tom Verdin, Ed Scott, B. Carpenter, and Rory Lewis. The 200 medley relay team of Zach Zinkgraf, junior Wyatt Hyndman, and sophomores Bobby Witkop and Chris Garrity dropped a second off their preliminaries’ qualifying time to final in 17th place at 1:48.40. And finally, the always blazing Barons’ 200 freestyle relay team of Erik Klontz, Michael Center, and juniors Patrick Hearle and Fred Tjonneland placed 6th overall in the final championship heat, with a best time of 1:30.75.
Michael Center had a good day, making finals in the 100 back to finish in 7th place at 54.07 and in 8th place overall in the 100 freestyle at 48.14. Erik Klontz was right there with Michael, placing an amazing 9th overall in the 50 freestyle finals, swimming 22.50, and finishing 17th overall in the 100 freestyle (50.57). Also dropping time from their Metros qualifying seeds for 100 freestyle were Matt Davey-Karlson, who dropped 1½ seconds to swim 51.63, and Zach Zinkgraf, who dropped to 52.38, although neither qualified for the final round.
Swimming well in the 200 IM, Bobby Witkop dropped a full second in prelims, and Matt Davey-Karlson dropped a half second, but neither of them made the final top-20 cut. In the 50 freestyle, Patrick Hearle and Chris Garrity swam the prelims, but their times were just out of reach of the lightning-fast finals. Zach Zinkgraf dropped a half-second in his 100 backstroke prelims, swimming 1:00.13, along with Patrick Hearle who dropped nearly a second, and teammate Fred Tjonneland. Fred also swam the 200 freestyle individual race during prelims in 1:56.57. Bobby Witkop was the sole Baron swimming the difficult 100 fly, and although he dropped nearly a half second from his seed, was still just outside the top 20. Donzen Urubshurow, who easily qualified to swim the 100 fly at Metros, missed the end of the season, including Metros, due to illness. Sophomore Thomas Pritchard ably swam his trademark 500 freestyle in 5:18.82, dropping a full second off his Metros qualifying time.
In the Metros final rounds of diving, Lydia Marks earned 59.40 points in finals. Teammate and junior dive captain Alex Regaux earned 49 points, and senior Paul-Marie Brou came through with 59.55 individual points.
With all these underclassmen swimming and diving for high points, and Coach Jason Blanken planning to return next year, the 2009-2010 season should be another really successful Division I season for B-CC.
A Gazette article about the strategies required for Metros’ success can be found here. Full results from the meet, both preliminary and final heats, can be found here.
- Reported by Cinda Davey
Feb. 12-14: Montgomery County Championships
In an exciting County Championship, the Barons swam smart and fast, with the boys placing 6th out of 26 teams and the girls placing 11th, to give B-CC an overall 9th place finish.
The boys were buoyed by a welcome visit from teammate Donzen Urubshurow, who stopped by after being released from the hospital less than 24 hours earlier! The boys managed to shatter 3 separate team records. Junior captain Michael Center, key in all the new records, set an individual 200 freestyle record, swimming 1:45.20 and replacing the previous record by nearly 2 seconds. The boys’ 200 freestyle relay team, consisting of senior captain Erik Klontz, Michael Center, and juniors Patrick Hearle and Fred Tjonneland, broke the 2008 record by 2 one-hundredths of a second, placing second only to WJ, in an exciting down-to-the-wire touch. Finally, the boys’ 400 freestyle relay team broke B-CC’s 30-year-old record: Kudos to the team of Michael Center and seniors Erik Klontz, Zach Zinkgraf, and Matt Davey-Karlson, who swam 3:23.25, breaking the previous record by just a half-second!
lso on the boys’ side, Fred Tjonneland placed 21st in the 200 free; Matt
Davey-Karlson and Zach Zinkgraf placed 16 and 17 in the 200 IM; and Bobby
Witkop (13th) earned points and a Metros cut in his 100 fly, along with
teammate Chris Garrity, who placed 29th. As usual, Erik Klontz (2nd) and
Patrick Hearle (9th) rocketed across the pool to earn lots of points and
Metro times in the 50 free. Barons were represented well in the 100
freestyle by the blazing duo of Michael Center, who swam 48.98 and placed
2nd by a touch, and teammate Erik Klontz, who dropped his time to 49.99
and placed 4th overall.
B-CC’s sturdy distance swimmers, Bobby Witkop (14th) and Thomas Pritchard
(17th), placed high among the 45 swimmers in that event. Bobby will swim
the 500 at Metros. Two more Metros swims were earned by Zach Zinkgraf (13th) and Fred Tjonneland (17th) in the 100 backstroke. Wyatt Hyndman
and Matt Davey-Karlson placed 20th and 24th in the 100 breaststroke.
Barons’ divers Alex Rigaux (235.85 points) and Paul Brou (110.80 points)
both earned the right to dive in the Metros Championship. Their female
counterparts, Lydia Marks (205.50 points) and Lauren Beck (116.10 points),
helped to place B-CC an amazing 5th out of 21 dive teams.
In the girls' 50 yard freestyle, points leaders Ida Tjonneland and
Stefania D’Ambrosio hit the wall in 9th and 10th places, both besting
their seed times and qualifying for Metros. In the 200 freestyle relay,
B-CC picked up another Metros qualifying time as Stefania, Ida, Emma
Tobey, and Deborah Detchon placed 10th in 1:47.43. Emma Tobey continued
her run with a 13th place Metros cut of 1:06.01 in the 100 backstroke,
followed by Patty Lora, swimming 1:13.23. Stefania broke through again in
the 100 breaststroke, earning 9th place and another Metros cut.
The 200 medley relay team of seniors Lauren Becker, Deborah Detchon, and
Leah Walpuck, joined by freshman Katie Carden, placed 15th, earning
valuable points for B-CC. Freshman Emma Tobey and junior Kinsey Hoffman
both maintained their Metros cut status in the 100 fly, placing 17th and
19th respectively. Ida Tjonneland placed 5th in the 100 yard freestyle,
dropping her time to 56.07. In the same race, Lauren Becker placed 29th,
dropping nearly a second from her seed time.
In the endurance races, Michelle Szymczak dropped 3 seconds off her 500
free Metros cut, placing 14th overall, followed by sophomore Roxanna Mir
in 24th. Charlotte Steiner and Leah Walpuck earned 25th and 26th places
in the 200 individual medley race. The 400 freestyle relay team earned a
Metros cut as juniors Michelle Szymczak and Stefania D’Ambrosio, together
with freshmen Emma Tobey and Ida Tjonneland, placed 7th in 3:53.82. In the
200 freestyle individual race, Michelle Szymczak placed 13th, dropping 2
seconds off her Metros qualifying time, and Kinsey Hoffman placed 24th (of
49).
In the individual rankings of the top 35 points earners at the County
Championship meet, Barons were represented by Ida Tjonneland and Stefania
D’Ambrosio on the girls' side and Michael Center and Erik Klontz on the
boys’ side.
Don’t miss all of these swimmers at the highly competitive and always
exciting Metros Championship at the Germantown Swim Center on Saturday,
Feb. 21, at 8:00 AM. Go Barons!
- Reported by Cinda Davey
Jan. 31: B-CC vs. Damascus
Boys: B-CC 123, Damascus 48
Girls: B-CC 119, Damascus 52
At home, on Senior Day, the Barons ruled the pool in both swimming and
diving against Damascus High School.
Divers kicked off the meet at the Takoma pool, with seniors Paul-Marie
Brou and Zach Zinkgraf bringing in the top scores of 125.20 and 104.10,
respectively. Not to be outdone, Whitney Boross (114.65) and senior
Lauren Beck (103.90) scored 1st and 2nd in the girls’ dives.
B-CC was heavy on sweeps. with Barons taking 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in multiple
events. In the 200 yard freestyle, Thomas Pritchard, Chris Garrity, and
Jackson Fritz took top honors along with their female counterparts, Emma
Tobey, Kinsey Hoffman, and senior Leah Walpuck. The boys’ 100 yard
butterfly saw Michael Center and senior Erik Klontz take 1st and 2nd (in
sub-minute time) followed by Chris Garrity in 3rd. Finally, in the girls’ 100 yard freestyle, Michelle Szymczak, and seniors Lauren Becker and Leah
Walpuck placed 1, 2, and 3.
In the boys’ 200 yard medley relay, senior Zack Zinkgraf, along with Wyatt
Hyndman, Bobby Witkop, and Patrick Hearle, squeezed out the Damascus team
by 2 seconds. B-CC also pulled out 3rd and 4th place points (less than
one second apart) in the relay event, thanks to Freddy Mondale,
Brendan McGuire, Jeremy Melmed, and Jackson Fritz, and seniors Eric Brumburgh and Ben Welna, with Joseph Kathan and Gabe Gan. The girls’ relay teams took
2nd (seniors Lauren Becker and Deborah Detchon, with Emma Tobey and Katie
Carden); 3rd (senior Patty Lora, with Indy Stevens, Olivia Ferguson, and
Haley Wessel); and 4th (Molly Zinkgraf, Lilly Herrick-Reynolds, AnneMarie
Galasso, and senior Emily Becker).
Senior Donzen Urubshurow took 1st in the 200 yard IM, just edging out
Bobby Witkop in 2nd. Donzen also claimed 1st in the 100 yard free,
followed by fellow senior Zach Zinkgraf. In the girls 200 IM, Michelle
Szymczak and senior Charlotte Steiner went 1-2, with senior Deborah
Detchon close behind in 4th.
Barons Michael Center and senior Matt Davey-Karlson blazed into first and
second in the 50 free, with senior Alex Cole in hot pursuit, placing 5th.
The girls’ 50 free was won by Ida Tjonneland, with Katie Carden placing 2nd, and senior Lauren Becker in 4th.
In the grueling 500 yard free, the girls went 2-3-4 (Ida Tjonneland,
Roxanna Mir, and Jordan Kuperberg), and the boys claimed 1st (Bobby Witkop),
2nd (Thomas Pritchard), and 4th (Eric Ockenhouse).
The girls’ team had other great races as Kinsey Hoffman and senior
Charlotte Steiner went 1-2 in the 100 butterfly; Emma Tobey (1st), senior
Patty Lora (3rd), and Susannah Baird (4th) all earned points in the 100
backstroke; and senior Deborah Detchon earned 1st followed by Indy Stevens
in 3rd in the 100 breaststroke.
B-CC boys had other stellar results, winning the 100 breast (senior Matt
Davey-Karlson), plus 3rd (Wyatt Hyndman) and 4th (Brendan McGuire). In
the 100 backstroke, the boys took 1st (Patrick Hearle), 3rd (senior Eric
Brumburgh), and 5th (Gabe Gan).
Finally, in the 400 freestyle relays, the girls went 1st (Michelle
Szymczak, seniors Leah Walpuck and Charlotte Steiner, and Ida Tjonneland)
and 2nd (Katie Carden, senior Patty Lora, Olivia Ferguson, and Molly
Zinkgraf). On the boys’ side, B-CC took 1st (Michael Center with seniors
Donzen Urubshurow, Erik Klontz, and Matt Davey-Karlson) ; 2nd (Chris Garrity,
senior Ben Welna, Freddy Mondale, and Thomas Pritchard); and, 4th (seniors
Alex Cole and Trey LaFranchi, Anton Spencer, and Thomas Pranzatelli) .
During the meet, B-CC seniors were recognized. The following senior
swimmers and divers will be sorely missed next year: Emily Becker, Lauren
Becker, Paul-Marie Brou, Eric Brumburgh, Alex Cole, Matt Davey-Karlson,
Deborah Detchon, Becca Dozier, Erik Klontz, Trey LaFranchi, Patty Lora,
Charlotte Steiner, Donzen Urubshurow, Leah Walpuck, Ben Welna, and Zach
Zinkgraf.
- Reported by Cinda Davey
Jan. 24: B-CC vs. Sherwood
Boys: B-CC 92, Sherwood 79
Girls: B-CC 89, Sherwood 82
In what Coach Jason Blanken called “our biggest meet of the year,” B-CC’s swim and dive team rose to the occasion and defeated Sherwood – both boys and girls – Saturday at the Olney Swim Center. This means the Barons will remain in Division 1 next season!
The boys set the tone for victory early, going 1-3 in the opening 200 medley relay, but the girls’ contest was nip and tuck throughout. The Barons were trailing going into their next-to-last event. Stefania D’Ambrosio, Deborah Detchon, and Indy Stevens went 1-2-5 in the 100 breast to gain a one-point lead, and then the B-CC girls took first and third in the 400 freestyle relay to lock up the win.
It was the Barons’ greater depth that saved the day, as Sherwood swimmers won nine of the 14 individual events. In three events, B-CC lost the race but outpointed Sherwood, 9-7, by taking second, third, and fourth.
B-CC divers won both their events, with Alex Rigaux and Paul Brou going 1-4 and Whitney Boross and Lydia Marks taking both top spots.
First-place swimmers on the boys’ side were Erik Klontz in the 50 free, Michael Center in the 100 free, and Thomas Pritchard with a thrilling, gutsy win by less than a second in the 500 free. Emma Tobey similarly touched her way to victory in the 100 back as the only other girls winner. D’Ambrosio and Tobey combined with Michelle Szymczak and Leah Walpuck to win the 400 free relay. Center and Klontz joined with Matt Davey-Karlson and Donzen Urubshurow to take first in the 200 medley relay.
Other point-winners on the boys’ side:
Freddy Mondale, Wyatt Hyndman, Bobby Witkop, and Patrick Hearle – third in the 200 medley relay.
Witkop, Pritchard, and Fred Tjonneland – 2-3-4 in the 200 free.
Center, Urubshurow, and Zach Zinkgraf – 2-3-5 in the 200 IM.
Chris Garrity and Hearle – 3-4 in the 50 free.
Urubshurow, Witkop, and Garrity – 2-3-4 in the 100 fly.
Klontz and Davey-Karlson – 3-4 in the 100 free.
Jackson Fritz – third in the 500 free.
Zinkgraf, Hearle, and Tjonneland – 2-4-5 in the 100 back.
Davey-Karlson and Hyndman – 3-5 in the 100 breast.
Fritz, Zinkgraf, Garrity, and Tjonneland – second in the 400 free relay.
Pritchard, Mondale, Hyndman, and Jeremy Melmed – third in the 400 free relay.
Other point-winners on the girls’ side:
Patty Lora, Detchon, Victoria Gersh, and Olivia Ferguson – second in the 200 medley relay.
Roxanna Mir, Stevens, Kinsey Hoffman, and Katie Carden – third in the 200 medley relay.
Ida Tjonneland, Szymczak, and Hoffman – 2-4-5 in the 200 free.
D’Ambrosio, Walpuck, and Charlotte Steiner - 2-4-5 in the 200 IM.
Carden, Lauren Becker, and Ferguson – 2-3-5 in the 50 free.
Tobey, Hoffman, and Walpuck – 2-3-5 in the 100 fly.
Tjonneland, Steiner, and Becker – 2-3-4 in the 100 free.
Szymczak and Mir – 2-4 in the 500 free.
Lora – fifth in the 100 back.
Becker, Steiner, Tjonneland, and Detchon – third in the 400 free relay.
- Reported by Reid Detchon
Jan. 17: B-CC vs. Churchill
Boys: Churchill 123, B-CC 48
Girls: Churchill 125, B-CC 46
Just like the Baltimore Ravens this past weekend, as well as your
correspondent’s beloved Philadelphia Eagles, the B-CC swimmers and divers ran into a
buzzsaw on Saturday, falling to powerful Churchill, whose boys’ and girls’
team are among the most powerful in the region.
The boys were defeated 123-48, and the girls fell, 125-46, to a Churchill
squad that will challenge for first place next month at Metros, a competition
usually dominated by the area’s private schools.
The Barons did post some good swims in their first dual meet since the
holiday break. On the boys squad, Michael Center coasted to a six-second victory
in the 200 yard IM, and then battled for the whole 20 lengths of the 500
free before a final burst to the wall earned him first place by less than a
second.
Erik Klontz took a pair of third places, in the 50 and 100 free, Matt
Davey-Karlson took second in the 100 breast, and Donzen Urubshurow, Bobby Witkop,
Thomas Pritchard, Jeremy Melmed, Chris Garrity, Zach Zinkgraf, Freddy Mondale and Wyatt Hyndman scored points with fourth and fifth places.
In the boys diving, Anton Spencer and Cody Ayala took third and fourth
place.
In the girls swimming, Ida Tjonneland continued her strong freshman season
with second-place finishes in the 500 and the 100 free, while Stefania D’Ambrosio captured the second spot in the 200 IM and 100 breast. Michelle Szymczak
took second in the 200 free and third in the 500 free, and Patty Lora posted
a third place in the 100 back. Fourth- and fifth-place finishers included
Roxanna Mir, Charlotte Steiner, Lauren Becker, Kinsey Hoffman, Leah Walpuck,
Emily Williams and Victoria Gersh.
In the diving, Lauren Beck delivered a second place, while Lydia Marks was
awarded fourth.
- Reported by Mike Sokolove
Dec. 20: B-CC vs. Wootton
Boys: B-CC 86, Wootton 85
Girls: Wootton 104, B-CC 67
The B-CC swim and dive team faced off against Wootton on Saturday and ended
up with a split decision. The girls fell to Wootton’s superior depth, 104-67,
despite some strong individual performances. The boys won a down-to-the-wire,
86-85 victory that featured close races all meet long as the Barons fought
for every possible point. Some credit must also go to first-year coach Jason
Blanken, who in preparation for what he knew would be a tossup meet, juggled
various lineup possibilities all week long before coming up with the winning
combination.
For the girls, the medley relay team of Patty Lora, Stefania D’Ambrosio,
Emma Tobey and Ida Tjonneland got the Barons off to a fast start with a
first-place finish. D’Ambrosio would go on to capture two more firsts, in the 50 free
and 100 breast, with Deborah Detchon picking up a fourth place in the
breast.
Tobey took first in the 100 back, while Tjonneland picked up a second in the
100 free and third in the 200 free, where she was followed by Kinsey Hoffman
with a fourth-place finish. Hoffman added a fourth in the 100 fly.
Michelle Szymczak had a strong meet, finishing first in the 500 freestyle --
by more than half a pool length -- and third in the 200 intermediate medley. In the diving, Whitney Boross and Lydia Marks finished 3-4.
The boys’ victory began with a 1-2 sweep of the medley relay – with Michael
Center, Wyatt Hyndman, Bobby Witkop and Patrick Hearle taking first,
followed by the quartet of Zach Zinkgraf, Gabe Gan, Donzen Urubshurow and Erik
Klontz.
Center followed with firsts in the 100 free and 100 breast; Klontz grabbed a
first in the 50 free, part of a sweep with Chris Garrity and Hearle
finishing in second and third. Alex Rigaux and Paul Brou made a huge contribution,
finishing 1-2 in the diving, while Urubshurow and Witkop went 1-3 in the 100
fly. Klontz and Fred Tjonneland fought for second and third in the 100 free.
Thomas Pritchard picked up key points with a second place in the 500 free,
with Jackson Fritz taking a fourth, while Zach Zinkgraf and Fred Tjonneland
went 3-4 in the 100 back. The final contribution in an individual event – Gabe
Gan’s single point with a fifth place in the 100 breast – was enough to
account for the final margin of victory.
- Reported by Mike Sokolove
Dec. 13: B-CC vs. Whitman
Boys: B-CC 88, Whitman 83
Girls: Whitman 112, B-CC 59
The B-CC boys swim and dive team won a tense, down-to-the-last event victory
over crosstown rival Whitman on Saturday, 88-83, with swimmers in all lanes
battling for places and scoring crucial points. The girls fared less well,
falling 112-59 to a powerful Vikings squad.
In the boys’ side of the meet, Michael Center was a double winner,
capturing the 100 yard backstroke and the 100 yard freestyle. Eric Klontz took the 50
free in a sizzling 22.79 seconds, more than a second faster than the
second-place Vikings finisher. Bobby Witkop won the 100 yard butterfly and added a
second place in the 200 yard intermediate medley.
The Barons’ boys showed their grit, versatility and depth in nearly every
event. Donzen Urubshurow and Thomas Pritchard finished second and third in the
200 free; Matt Davey-Karlson and Wyatt Hyndman picked up key points in the 200
IM; Patrick Hearle and Zach Zinkgraf backed Klontz with third and fourth
finishes in the 50 free; Alex Rigaux and Paul Brou took second and fourth in
the diving, contributing crucial points; and Urubshurow and and Eric Brumbaugh
fought for second and fifth in the butterfly.
Among the many other contributors were Patrick Hearle (3d, 50 free);
Urubshurow (2d, 100 fly); Fred Tjonneland (4th 100 free); Jackson Fritz (4th, 500
free); and Gabe Gan (4th, 100 breast).
In the girls’ competition, the Barons could only manage some hard-fought
second and third places but could not break into the winners’ column. Ida
Tjonneland took third in the 200 free, and added a second place in the 100 free.
Stefania D’Ambrosio took a second in the 100 breast and a third in the 200 IM.
Lydia Marks captured second in the diving. Michelle Szymczak finished second
in the 500 free, and Deborah Detchon came in third in the 100 breast.
Emma Tobey garnered a pair of third places, in the 100 fly and 100 back.
Next on the schedule for the Barons is Wootton, next Saturday.
- Reported by Mike Sokolove
Dec. 6: B-CC vs. Walter Johnson
Boys: WJ 94, B-CC 77
Girls: WJ 86, B-CC 85
As newcomers back to Division I, B-CC gave WJ a run for their money on
Saturday, and with a few touches going the other way the Barons might have
defeated the Wildcats. The Barons girls lost by a single point, 86-85, and
the boys lost 94-77.
The Barons had some outstanding races and saw 8 swimmers already qualify
for the end-of-season Metros competition: Bobby Witkop (200 free, 100
fly), Erik Klontz (50 free, 100 free), Patrick Hearle (50 free), Donzen
Urubshurow (100 fly), Emma Tobey (100 fly), Stefania D'Ambrosio (100 free,
100 breast), Michelle Szymczak (500 free), and Matt Davey-Karlson (100
breast).
High-value first-place finishes came from Erik Klontz and Katie Carden in 50
free, Emma Tobey in 100 fly and 100 breast, Stefania D’Ambrosio in 100 free
and 100 breast, and Thomas Pritchard in the 500 freestyle endurance race.
B-CC showed surprising depth with a consistent series of 1-2 and 2-3 place
finishes. Both boys’ and girls’ medley relay teams placed second (boys -
Patrick Hearle, Davey-Karlson, Chris Garrity, Ben Welna: girls -- Roxanna
Mir, Deborah Detchon, Kinsey Hoffman, and Lauren Becker) and 4th (boys -
Eric Brumburgh, Gabe Gan, Joseph Kathan, and Jackson Fritz; girls – Emily
Williams, Katie Carden, Susannah Baird, and Charlotte Steiner).
In the 200 free, Bobby Witkop placed 2nd (1:55), followed immediately by
Fred Tjonneland (1:57). The girls’ 200 free was nearly identical with
Szymczak in 2nd (2:09) and Kinsey Hoffman barely behind in 3rd (2:12). In
the 200 IM, B-CC went 2-4-5 with Davey-Karlson (2:18), Garrity (1:24) and
Gan (2:33) racing hard. The girls side took 2-3 with Leah Walpuck (2:31)
just ahead of Steiner (2:35).
In the 50 free, where B-CC took 1st for both boys and girls, the 3rd place
in each was claimed by B-CC’s Hearle (23.63) and Detchon (28.34). More 2-3
combos were brought in by Witkop (57.16) and Urubshurow (58.30) in the 100
fly and Klontz (52.19) and Garrity (54.59) in the 100 freestyle.
Diving points were scored by 1st place Alex Rigaux with 137.65 points and
4th place Cody Ayala with 84.85 points. On the girls’ side, Whitney
Boross (102.15 points) earned 3rd, followed by Lauren Beck (89.85 points)
in 4th.
Girls’ backstroke was ruled by B-CC swimmers – Tobey (1st – 1:07), Baird
(1:14), Patty Lora (2nd-1:15), and Becker (1:15). Boys backstroke saw
Hearle take a nice 2nd (1:05), followed by Brumburgh (1:12) and Eric
Ockenhouse (1:12). In the killer 500 freestyle, Pritchard earned 1st
(5:28), just touching out teammate Tjonneland (2nd – 5:29), followed by Urubshurow in 5th (5:56). For girls, Szymczak was 2nd (5:42) and Mir 4th
(6:17), followed by Jordan Kuperberg (6.42) and Emily Becker (7.05).
In boys 100 breast B-CC went 2-4-6 with Davey-Karlson at 1:08, Gan at
1:15, and Brendan McGuire just a hair behind at 1:16. In the girls
breast, behind D’Ambrosio’s 1st, were Detchon (3rd - 1:16), Indy Stevens
(6th -1:24), and Lilly Herrick-Reynolds (1:27).
The final event – 400 freestyle relay would determine the race. As hard
as the boys tried, in an exciting race that went back and forth several
times (with Urubshurow bringing B-CC ahead in the 3rd leg), the incredibly
strong WJ anchor swimmer managed to give WJ the win over B-CC, who had to
settle for 2nd, but with proud swims by Klontz, Tjonneland, Urubshurow,
and Witkop. The girls race was similar, with B-CC taking 2nd, despite
strong swims by Olivia Ferguson, Kinsey Hoffman, Steiner, and Lora, who
came in less than a second ahead of their 3rd place teammates – Tobey,
Walpuck, Szymczak, and D’Ambrosio.
This was a great showing for B-CC against the legendary WJ swim dynasty!
Watch for improvements and best times in the meets ahead.
- Reported by Cinda Davey
Nov. 29: B-CC vs. Blair
Boys: B-CC 103, Blair 69
Girls: B-CC 91, Blair 81
The Barons swimming and diving teams got off to a fast start on Saturday, with both the boys and girls teams registering wins over Montgomery Blair in their season debut and first meet under new coach Jason Blanken.
The boys, in a 103-69 victory, began the evening meet with a razor-thin first place in the 200 yard medley relay, as Erik Klontz, swimming the anchor freestyle leg, hit the wall just about a half-second faster than the Blair swimmer. He was preceded on the relay by Michael Center, Matt Davey-Karlson and Donzen Urubshurow.
Contributing mightily to the boys’ team victory was a sweep of the first three places in the diving competition accomplished by Alex Rigaux, Cody Ayala and Anton Spencer.
Klontz also went on to pick up a second place in the 100 free, while Center picked up a second place in the 100 breaststroke, and Urubshurow and Davey-Karlson came in second and third, respectively, in the 200 intermediate medley. Center and Klontz combined with Fred Tjonneland and Zach Zinkgraf to take a first in the other relay – the 400 free.
Zinkgraf picked up an individual first in the 50 free, and Tjonneland got first in the 500 free, with the Barons’ Thomas Pritchard and Jackson Fritz taking the second and third places. Bobby Witkop took two second places, in the 200 free and 100 fly.
The B-CC girls won a much closer victory, defeating Blair, 91-81, with the performances of a couple of freshmen – Ida Tjonneland and Emma Tobey – boding well for both this season and the future. Tjonneland took first in the 100 free and Tobey won the 100 back, a sweep in which she was backed by Patty Lora and Lauren Becker. The two freshmen, along with Stefania D’Ambrosio and Leah Walpuck, were part of the Barons’ first-place effort in the 400 free relay.
Kinsey Hoffman led a B-CC sweep in the 200 free, with Roxanna Mir and Claire Dudek capturing second and third. Mir followed that up with a first place in the 500 free. D’Ambrosio closed with a strong last length of the pool to win a close victory in the 100 breast.
- Reported by Mike Sokolove
Individual Meet Results
Cody Ayala (15) M (SO)
2nd, 1 Meter 6 Dives
Lauren Becker (17) W (SR)
2nd, 100 Free
3rd, 100 Back
Lauren Beck W (SR)
5th, 1 Meter 6 Dives
Eric Brumburgh (17) M (SR)
5th, 100 Back
Michael Center (16) M (JR)
2nd, 100 Breast
Stefania D'Ambrosio (16) W (JR)
1st, 100 Breast
Matt Davey-Karlson (17) M (SR)
3rd, 200 IM
4th, 100 Breast
Deborah Detchon (18) W (SR)
4th, 200 IM
3rd, 100 Breast
Claire Dudek (14) W (FR)
3rd, 200 Free
5th, 100 Fly
Jackson Fritz (14) M (FR)
3rd, 500 Free
Gabe Gan (14) M (FR)
5th, 100 Breast
Christopher Garrity (15) M (SO)
3rd, 100 Free
Patrick Hearle (16) M (JR)
4th, 100 Free
4th, 100 Back
Kinsey Hoffman (16) W (JR)
1st, 200 Free
Erik Klontz (17) M (SR)
2nd, 100 Free
Jordan Kuperberg (16) W (JR)
3rd, 500 Free
Trey LaFranchi M (SR)
5th, 50 Free
Patricia Lora (17) W (SR)
3rd, 200 IM
2nd, 100 Back
Lydia Marks (16) W (JR)
4th, 1 Meter 6 Dives
Brenna McManus (13) W (FR)
4th, 500 Free
Michael Metzler (17) M (JR)
3rd, 50 Free
Roxanna Mir (15) W (SO)
2nd, 200 Free
1st, 500 Free
Freddy Mondale (16) M (JR)
4th, 200 IM
Isabel Platt (16) W (JR)
5th, 100 Breast
Thomas Pritchard (16) M (SO)
4th, 200 Free
2nd, 500 Free
Alex Rigaux (16) M (JR)
1st, 1 Meter 6 Dives
Anton Spencer (15) M (SO)
3rd, 1 Meter 6 Dives
Charlotte Steiner (17) W (SR)
3rd, 100 Fly
Frederik Tjonneland (16) M (JR)
3rd, 200 Free
1st, 500 Free
Ida Tjonneland (14) W (FR)
1st, 100 Free
Emma Tobey (14) W (FR)
1st, 100 Back
Donzen Urubshurow M (SR)
2nd, 200 IM
4th, 100 Fly
Leah Walpuck (17) W (SR)
2nd, 200 IM
Emily Williams (14) W (FR)
4th, 50 Free
5th, 100 Free
Robert Witkop (15) M (SO)
2nd, 200 Free
2nd, 100 Fly
Zach Zinkgraf (17) M (SR)
1st, 50 Free
2nd, 100 Back
* * *
Feb. 9, 2008: MCPS Division II Championships
The B-CC girls swimming and diving team clinched the MCPS Division II championship and the combined boys and girls teams earned a place in the county's elite Division I next year with a strong performance at the divisional meet Saturday at the Germantown swim center.
Both teams placed second in the six-team competition, and the combined score of the teams put B-CC in first overall, ensuring that Baron swimmers and divers will be placed among the top six teams of the county during 2008-09.
For the second time this season the girls' triumph depended on a single point, meaning that each of the 16 swimmers and divers who competed made a vital contribution. Quince Orchard won the girls' meet with 392 points, while B-CC took second by a single point over Blake, 360-359. In the contest for the division championship, B-CC and Quince Orchard tied in total points—but because the Barons' won the Jan. 19 dual meet between the two teams by the margin of 86-85, B-CC will take home the division trophy.
The boys' division meet and divisional title were won by Montgomery Blair. The Baron boys took second in the meet and in the division. But B-CC's combined team score in the divisional meet bested Blair by 787-774, and B-CC also had the best overall dual meet record of 9-1. That means the girls and boys teams will join traditional swimming powerhouses Walter Johnson, Churchill and Whitman in Division I next season.
The Barons' success all season was based on superior team depth, and the division meet was no exception. B-CC swimmers and divers won five of the 24 events and took second or third in nine others. Senior captain Hannah Center won both the 50 freestyle and the 100 backstroke, and All-American senior Robert Coe won the 100 backstroke and took second in the 50 freestyle. Sophomore Alex Rigaux easily won the boys' diving, while sophomore Nicole Glazer took second in the girls event. The boys 200 freestyle relay of Coe, junior captain Erik Klontz, and sophomores Frederik Tjonneland and Michael Center cruised to a satisfying victory over Blair.
Klontz had a brilliant day overall, sharply dropping his personal best times in both the 50 and 100 freestyle to pick up two fifth places. Michael Center recorded his fastest time of the year in the 100 freestyle to take second, and also finished fourth in the 100 backstroke. Sophomore Stefania D'Ambrosio finished third behind Hannah Center in the 50 free, then took a second off her best time of the year in the 100 breaststroke to take fifth. Sophomore Michelle Szymczak, a stalwart in the distance freestyle events all season, finished third in both the 200 and 500 freestyles.
Though their divisional season is over, B-CC swimmers and divers still have two more meets remaining: the Montgomery County championship this weekend, and the Metros Swimming championship the following weekend. So far 18 boy and girl Baron swimmers and divers have qualified to compete in individual events at Metros, the premier high school swimming competition in the Washington region.
- Reported by Jackson Diehl
Girls’ Swimming/Diving Team Records