New class, new challenges for Pine Crest
Well, that didn’t last long.
The Pine Crest girls’ swimming and diving team won state titles in 2020 and 2021. But after two years in Class 2A, the Panthers were moved to 1A due to a new enrollment assessment.
That bit of restructuring by the state’s governing body (FHSAA) may not seem like much. But, in swimming, it means everything.
Pine Crest will now compete against Jacksonville Bolles, which has won 30 consecutive state titles.
Similarly, the Pine Crest boys – who finished second at state last year – will also have to compete with the Bolles dynasty. The Bolles boys have won 33 consecutive state titles.
Bolles has also been named No. 1 in the nation 18 times – 10 for the boys and eight for the girls – by Swimming World magazine.
Then again, the Pine Crest swimmers don’t seem to be intimidated.
“I’m excited to race them,” said Pine Crest senior Hanna Elks Smith, who competes in the 50 and 100 freestyle. “I’m not scared. I kind of knew we would be back with them (in Class 1A).
“We both have great teams. We both have fast swimmers.”
To her point, the Bolles girls have the most state titles in Florida history with 34, and Pine Crest is second with 29. In terms of individual state titles, Pine Crest is first with
243, and Bolles is second (151).
Among the boys, Bolles is first in team titles (43) and individual titles (256). Pine Crest is tied for second in team titles (17) and alone in second in individual titles (169).
However, no swimmer or diver – male or female – has won more same-event state titles than Pine Crest senior Kevin Mendez, who
has five gold medals.
Mendez, a diver, could win his sixth title this year.
“He’s a natural.” Pine Crest diving coach Janet Gabriel said. “He can spin and twist really well.”
Gabriel, a former diver who was on the same Indiana University swim team as Olympic hero Mark Spitz, has been coaching at Pine Crest since 2008.
But she’s only part of the Panthers’ brain trust.
Pine Crest’s swim coach is Mariusz Podkoscielny, a native of Poland who finished fifth in the 400meter and 1,500-meter
freestyle races at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
“I held the Olympic 400-meter record for about 10 hours,” Podkoscielny said of his fast prelim time that was later defeated.
Podkoscielny and his wife Dagmara – also a former Polish national team swimmer – have one child, Julia, a Pine Crest junior.
Julia has already won four state titles. She won the 100 backstroke and the 200 IM (individual medley) as a freshman, and she repeated that feat
as a sophomore.
“She feels at home in the water,” her father said. “She’s able to move her body in an effortless way.”
The Panthers’ girls’ team also boasts junior Riley Botting, who was a state runner-up last year in the 100 and 500 free; senior Isabella Chambers; sophomore Sara Linn; and junior Ava Anderson, who was third at state in diving last year.
“Riley is relentless in pursuing an opponent,” Podkoscielny said. “She never gives up.
“Isabella had a breakthrough summer.”
On the boys’ side, Pine Crest features a quartet of senior swimmers: Luc Ferrara, Wyatt Denhard, Erik Zepeda and Victor Lago.
“We have improved our depth,” Podkoscielny said, “especially with freshman Kingsley Bailey.”
THIS AND THAT
Gulliver, Mater Lakes and American Heritage are other Dade/Broward swim programs to watch for at the state competition, which is set for Nov. 6-13 in Stuart at the Sailfish Splash Waterpark and Aquatics Center.
Carrollton is powered by freshman Isabelle Wilson, who finished 14th at state last year in the 500 free.
Other swimmers to watch are Westminster Christian’s pair of juniors, Mario Solorzano and Sophia Lamelas; Braddock senior Caitlyn Coe; Columbus senior Zachary DePass; Riviera Prep senior Mathew Fernandez; Hialeah Gardens’ duo of sophomore Chabeli Silva and senior Brennan Binder; Ransom Everglades’ freshmen duo of Kierra Rampersad and Nohan Gomez; and American Heritage junior Amari Porter.
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