Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
As starts to seasons go, Warsaw boys swim coach Chris LaLonde couldn't complain about Saturday's opener.
Warsaw beat Elkhart Memorial 133-53 and beat Columbia City 89-8.
"I don't think we have ever beaten Elkhart Memorial this bad," she said.
Even a reduced roster couldn't slow Warsaw. The Tigers, who began last season with 39 swimmers on the team, have 23 on the 1999-2000 roster.
But the Tigers still went 12 for 12. Out of 12 events, Warsaw placed first in 12.
Two seniors and a sophomore led the way for the Tigers.
Seniors Adam Helfrich and Justin Lowrance and sophomore Kiel Beehler each placed first in four events.
Helfrich won the 200 freestyle (1:58.84) and 100 butterfly (:58.46) and was a member of the winning 200 medley (1:44.78) and 400 freestyle (3:37.11) relay teams.
Lowrance won the 50 freestyle (:22.66) and 100 freestyle (:50.93), and, like Helfrich, helped the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams to first-place finishes.
Beehler placed first in the 200 individual medley (2:15.16) and 500 freestyle (5:32.04) and swam for the winning 200 freestyle (1:41.66) and 400 freestyle relay teams.
Other individual first places for the Tigers included David Wildman in diving (182.70), Brandon Moore in the backstroke (1:01.57) and John Sincroft in the breaststroke (1:07.60).
Out of countless highlights, LaLonde picked out a few: "I thought Justin Lowrence did well in the 50 and 100, the 200 medley relay team swam well, David Wildman did pretty good in diving, and John Sincroft in the 100 breaststroke swam a really good race," she said.
LaLonde "swam her guys on," which means she entered each swimmer in his best event and did not juggle the lineup. The exceptions were the relay teams, which LaLonde said she could have bolstered.
Because this is the first meet, LaLonde looks for things she would not look for in every meet.
"I look for times and how well they can hold their races together," she said. "Several fall apart toward the ends of races."
On Warsaw's schedule this year, LaLonde estimates there is a handful of meets where the Tigers face teams she believes they should beat easily. This first meet was one of them.
One meet into the season, the Tigers proved her right.
WARSAW 133, ELKHART MEMORIAL 53
200 medley relay - 1. Warsaw (Brandon Moore, John Sincroft, Adam Helfrich, Justin Lowrance) 1:44.78, 2. Elkhart Memorial, 3. Warsaw
200 freestyle - 1. Adam Helfrich (W) 1:58.44, 2. Sean Broderick (EM), 3. Michael Jenks (W)
200 individual medley - 1. Kiel Beehler (W) 2:16.16, 2. John Sincroft (W), 3. Mark Howard (W)
50 freestyle - 1. Justin Lowrance (W) :22.60, 2. Andy Galbreth (EM), 3. Jason Sibray (W)
diving - 1. David Wildman (W) 182.70, 2. Corey Losee (EM), 3. Brian Peddler (EM)
100 butterfly - 1. Adam Helfrich (W) :58.46, 2. Brandon Moore (W), 3. Nate Clark (EM)
100 freestyle - 1. Justin Lowrance (W) :50.93, 2. Jason Sibray (W), 3. Jeremy Cook (EM)
500 freestyle - 1. Kiel Beehler (W) 5:32.04, 2. Michael Jenks (W), 3. Josh Fuller (EM)
200 freestyle relay - 1. Warsaw (Jason Sibray, Joe Clevenger, David Wildman, Kiel Beehler) 1:41.66, 2. Warsaw, 3. Elkhart Memorial
100 backstroke - 1. Brandon Moore (W) 1:01.57, 2. Andy Galbreth (EM), 3. Mike Thallemer (W)
100 breaststroke - 1. John Sincroft (W) 1:07.60, 2. Sean Broderick (EM), 3. Cory Gackenheimer (W)
400 freestyle relay - 1. Warsaw (Kiel Beehler, Jason Sibray, Adam Helfrich, Justin Lowrance) 3:37.11, 2. Elkhart Memorial, 3. Warsaw
WARSAW 89, COLUMBIA CITY 8
200 medley relay - 1. Warsaw (Brandon Moore, John Sincroft, Adam Helfrich, Justin Lowrance) 1:44.78, 3. Warsaw, 4. Warsaw
200 freestyle - 1. Adam Helfrich (W) 1:58.84, 3. Josh Stork (W), 4. Mike Jenks (W)
200 individual medley - 1. Kiel Beehler (W) 2:15.16, 2. John Sincroft (W), 3. N/A
50 freestyle - 1. Justin Lowrance (W) :22.66, 2. Jason Sibray (W), 3. Chris Meyers (CC)
diving - 1. David Wildman (W) 182.70, 4. Dex Anglin (W), 5. Jake Keirn (W)
100 butterfly - 1. Adam Helfrich (W) :58.46, 2. Brandon Moore (W), 4. Mark Howard (W)
100 freestyle - 1. Justin Lowrance (W) :50.93, 2. Jason Sibray (W), 4. Colin Nicol (W)
500 freestyle - 1. Kiel Beehler (W) 5:32.04, 2. Michael Jenks (W), 4. Josh Stork (W)
200 freestyle relay - 1. Warsaw (Jason Sibray, Joe Clevenger, David Wildman, Kiel Beehler) 1:41.66, 2. Warsaw, 4. Warsaw
100 backstroke - 1. Brandon Moore (W) 1:01.57, 3. Mike Thallemere (W), 4. Chris Meyers (CC)
100 breaststroke - 1. John Sincroft (W) 1:07.60, 2. Cory Gackenheimer (W), 4. Joe Clevenger (W)
400 freestyle relay - 1. Warsaw (Kiel Beehler, Jason Sibray, Adam Helfrich, Justin Lowrance) 3:37.11, 3. Warsaw, 4. Warsaw
