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Victory after victory has been the tempo of the
Western swimmers this
year as they have gone undefeated in seven dual meets. They have won
the
West Side championship and are looking forward to the dual meet
champion-
ships with Denby.
To win the West Side championship the Tankers have had
to outswim three
strong teams in this year's league: Redford, Cody, and last year's city
champions, Cooley. All season the Tankers have been preparing to meet
the
strong Cooley team. To begin with, Western edged Redford 55-50 and took
care of Cody 57-48. Then Western showed its potential in two easier
meets
against Chadsey and Southeastern by running the score up into the
sixties.
On February 7, Cooley, last year's city champions, and
Western met head
on, both with perfect 5-0 records. The winner of this meet would most
probably
also be the West Side champions. Both teams were in full strength and
in
a close seesaw meet, 6 new records were set, some pool records, city
records
and a state record, before Western emerged the victor 55-50. Coach
Gunnerson
was confident that the Tankers could win if they kept Cooley from
placing
1st and 2nd in any event, allowing that Western take first and second
in
3 events.
In the 200-free, George Saldana received sustained
applause for beating
Karasick of Cooley and setting a new pool record of 1:57.8 sec.,
bettering
his own previous record. Rick Skarbo and Mark Manrique then took the
expected
first and second in the individual medley, Rick bettering his old pool
and city record. Skarbo also set a new pool and city record in the
100-yard
backstroke of 57.6 sec. Bill Jennison was a double winner for Cooley
setting
a new pool, city, and state record in the 100-yard butterfly with an
amazing
time of 53.7 sec. George Saldana and Mark Manrique took first and
second in
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Team "Dunks"Coach
After Coooley Meet
Gunnie takes the plunge.
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the 400-yard free and again George bettered his old mark
and set a new
pool and city record of 4 minutes 13.2 sec. Jim Nagy edged out Cooley
swimmers
for second place in the 50 and the 100-free thus preventing Cooley from
taking the devastating first and second places. Dennis Manrique and
Craig
Dwyer finished off Western's victory pace by taking first and second in
the 100-yard breaststroke.
City finals will be held at Patton Pool today.
Western swims Denby from
the East Side in our pool on March 7 for the city dual meet
championship.
This meet will complete the regular season for Western. However, the
state
meet in Lansing is yet to be held. Only a few of Western's Tankers have
qualified to swim in this meet. You must do a minimum time twice during
the season in order to qualify. Rick Skarbo and George Saldana are the
only ones to have qualified so far.
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