Barracudas attack with their depth
Brookfield team wins 10-team meet
Shorewood — Franklin received more individual glory Saturday, but Brookfield Central/East was the boys swim team that left the Shorewood Invitational with the firstplace trophy.
Despite not winning any events, the Barracudas won the 10-team meet with 429.5 points. The Sabers finished first in five events but took second with 418 points. Last year at Division 1 state, Brookfield took third and Franklin was fifth.
“We like the way this meet is set up,” Barracudas coach Bill Twitchell said. “There’s two scoring relays and then enough entries that you have to have a deeper team, a more balanced team. And historically, that has proven to be in our favor. We have some talented swimmers, but our philosophy is next man up.”
Five second-place finishes helped Brookfield, including one in the meet’s final race, the 400-yard freestyle. Miforward chael Linnihan, Ben Attenberger, Sam Kult and Ryan Linnihan ended second in 3 minutes 16.29 seconds.
The team also got two second-place finishes from Attenberger, who was runner-up in the 200 free (1:44.57) and the 100 breaststroke (1:00.07). Kult placed second in the 200 individual medley (2:00.62) and Ryan Linnihan did the same in the 100 free (48.63).
“A lot of people turned in swims they haven’t been doing all season, which is incredible,” Attenberger said.
The meet began with Franklin’s Jared Kleczka winning the diving competition with 427.35 points, and then the Sabers’ Justin Craig, Michael Fischer, Will Lennertz and James Kostrzewa followed by winning the 200 medley relay in 1:38.51.
Kostrzewa, Devin Watson, Fischer and D.J. Nowacki eventually won the 200 free relay in 1:29.71, and Fischer placed first with a 54.34 in the 100 butterfly and claimed the 100 breaststroke in 1:00.02.
“I swim my events expecting that I’m going to win, but I always know there’s tough competition out there,” said Fischer, a senior. “I just try to keep true to myself and what I know.”
Two of the more interesting races of the day were the 50 and 100 freestyles, as Nicolet’s Riccardo Romersi, Cedarburg’s Will Hobbs and Brookfield’s Ryan Linnihan competed against one another in both events.
The 50 free was held first and was won by fourth-seeded Romersi in 21.86, followed by Hobbs (21.87) and Linnihan (21.97). Last year, Romersi took second at Division 2 state for the second straight season.
“I want it just as bad as every year; I always want to win,” Romersi said. “Last year I think was even more frustrating than two years ago. But the focus hasn’t changed. I’m not a very tall guy; I’m only 5-8, which compared to most sprinters is not that big. So really it’s about trying to put on as much muscle mass as possible and making sure that I’m keeping my rate high.
“That’s essentially what my practices have been: high volume, high intensity with a good amount of rest. I don’t put in that many yards, which is fine for me because that’s all I do. So I’m hoping that puts some really good times at state.”
In the 100, Hobbs finished first in 47.77, Linnihan was runner-up (48.63) and Romersi placed third (48.81). Hobbs took second at state last year and Romersi was fifth.
“He is faster than me tapered in the 100 and I’m slightly faster than him in the 50,” Romersi said. “Again, it’s another tit-for-tat race. He usually gets me in the 100 though. I can’t let it get to me. I wish I would’ve won, but I can’t worry about that. Especially right now, it’s not the time.”
Monona Grove’s Ben McDade, the two-time defending Division 2 state champion in the 200 free and 500 free, won both races Saturday. Teammate Eric Storms also placed first in the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke.