May 14, 2004

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Palo Alto Online

After slow start, it could be fast finish

by Keith Peters

Taylor Wells didn't get his final season of swimming at Menlo School off to a good start. But, much like the sport, how one finishes is what counts most.

Wells' potentially disastrous start has become a potentially successful finish, heading into Saturday's Central Coast Section championships at Independence High in San Jose.

Wells is ranked No. 1 in the CCS in the 100-yard freestyle this season, off his career-best 47.82 to win the PAL Bay Division title last weekend. It's a new event for him, so new that he didn't even know where he ranked until someone informed him Tuesday.

"Really?," Wells said of his No. 1 status.

Surprised?

"Yeah," Wells replied.

Wells also is entered in the 200 free, an event in which he swam a career-best 1:40.96 last year to finish second in the section finals. Wells, however, was told he might never swim the 200 again, especially after fracturing his right foot before the start of the season.

While Wells won't disclose exactly what happened, he did say it was "more of a stupid injury." One that was potentially serious.

"My doctor said it could easily get worse," Wells said. "If it did, it might need surgery."

So, the Menlo senior sat out most of the early practice sessions. When he did get in the pool, practices focused on his arms. He spent three weeks just pulling in the water. No kicking.

"The injury set me back a little bit, but I got it back," Wells said of his conditioning. Over spring break in March, however, Wells did nothing in the pool and fell out of shape again.

Once back in shape, Menlo coach Terence O'Malley believed Wells' foot injury would make it difficult to swim the 200 free again. Wells also gave up on the 500 free, an event where his finished fourth at CCS in 2003.

"And," Wells said, "I was pretty cautious about doing (butter)fly."

Wells concentrated on the 100 free and other shorter races during the Peninsula Athletic League dual-meet season, helping the Knights compile a 7-0 record. That dual-meet title carried over into the league championship, where Wells won the 100 fly (54.04) and 100 free and swam on two relays to help Menlo defend its team crown.

His right foot has healed, allowing Wells to move back to the 200 free for the CCS meet. However, he ranks only 22nd going into to the trials today.

"I have no clue right now," Wells said of the 200 free, an event he has raced only once or twice this season. He is nearly 10 seconds behind what he swam the 200 at CCS a year ago.

But, it's not a big deal for the talented aquatics standout who is headed to UC Irvine in the fall to play water polo.

"I have the attitude that I don't have anything to lose," he said. "Anything at this point will be exciting for me."

Wells heads into uncharted waters in his final meets (trials and finals) of the season. He's the unlikely favorite in the 100 free, based on his time, and a real darkhorse in the 200 free. Still, he'd rather be chasing someone than be the target of others.

Either way, his CCS competitors know who is his and Wells will find a way to make an impact this weekend. After Saturday, swimming will be history.

Speaking of history, Bellarmine is the huge favorite to win its 19 straight boys' title and 21st in the past 22 years. No other team has come close to such a feat and no other team will come close to the Bells on Saturday.

"(But) I don't know if Bellarmine can score enough points to win the meet by the end of the 200 IM," quipped Menlo-Atherton coach Rick Longyear. The 200 individual medley, by the way, is the third event of the meet.

Bellarmine scored 508 1/2 points last year and no other team exceeded 200. Menlo took third with 136 and Palo Alto sixth with 100. Both those teams are hoping to move up. The Vikings may have the best opportunity, based on bodies. Paly has 12 swims among the top 16 seed times while Menlo has seven. Sacred Heart Prep, meanwhile, stands to finish better than its 16th-place finish of 2003 with 10 top-16 seeds while Gunn, the SCVAL De Anza Division meet champion, has six.

The key for all the local teams, of course, is to move more swimmers into the consolation finals and championship finals.

In addition to Wells, Menlo's best hopes rest with senior Stephen Wright (200 free, 100 breast) and sophomore Travis Read (100 fly, 100 back). Paly has senior Kalani Leifer (200 IM, 100 fly), senior Lee Anderson (No. 6 seed in the 50 free), and freshman Peter Lo (200 IM, 100 breast). Gunn hopes rest with sophomore Matt Prior (100 back), junior Ysbrand Nusse (200 free, 500 free) and Siddharth Menon (100 breast), while the Titans' No. 2-seeded 200 free relay could challenge Bellarmine for top honors.

Sacred Heart Prep has senior Bradley Thompson (200 free, 500 free), senior Brandon Child (50 free, 100 free) and freshman Kameron Flores-Maxfield (200 IM, 100 breast), while Menlo-Atherton pins its hopes on junior Ted Boeddiker (50 free, 100 free), freshman Tyler Thompson (200 free, 100 back) and freshman Peter Jacobs (200 IM).

While Boeddiker is just a junior, this will be his final CCS meet. He's graduating early and headed to West Point in the fall.

The 200 free will have an interesting matchup between brothers Bradley Thompson (SHP) and Tyler Thompson (M-A). The two are seeded No. 9 and 10, respectively, and likely will swim against each other in the trials today.

In the girls' race, Mitty should easily defend its CCS title. After that, it's up for grabs. Palo Alto (fifth), Menlo (seventh) and Sacred Heart Prep (10th) all were top-10 teams a year ago. Gunn (13th) and Menlo-Atherton (15th) also should move up, with the Bears likely to have the biggest jump.

Sophomores Kelly Eaton (200 IM, 100 back) and Danielle Hildebrandt (200 free, 500 free) are looking to final, while freshman Kaitlyn Sitts (200 free, 500 free) likely is a consolation finsher this season. The Bears' 200 free and 400 free relays are looking to reach the finals, as well.

If the Paly girls don't have two relay teams disqualified like last season, they have a chance to contend for perhaps a top-three finish. Junior Monika Friedman is the top qualifier in the 500 free (5:03.72) and ranks No. 3 in the 100 fly (58.88). Fellow junior Remy Champion (200 free, 100 free) and sophomore Becky Wenzlau (200 free, 100 free) should contribute along with senior diver Heather Peng.

Gunn is led by senior Lainey Eaton (100 breast, 500 free) and sophomore sister Di (200 IM); Menlo School has junior Maryann Hiller (No. 3 in 100 breast) and junior Kelsey Haley (100 fly); Castilleja has senior Alexa Namba (500 free, 100 breast)while Sacred Heart Prep freshman Katie Sutherland (500 free) and Tiffany Yim (200 IM, 100 back) should contribute to their team's effort, as well.

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