SENIORS END ON HIGH NOTE
Marshall Odom and Tony Laurito of Friendswood have been swimming together for nine years. Odom called their relationship a healthy rivalry — one where both got better in a constant keeping-up battle.
Seniors Odom and Laurito, the Chronicle’s All-Greater Houston Boys coSwimmers of the Year, wrapped their high school careers in February by taking home four medals apiece while helping the Mustangs finish second overall at the UIL Class 5A swimming and diving championships.
Friendswood swim coach Craig Sikkema used the Chinese phrase “yin and yang” to describe Odom and Laurito, who have contributed to almost 20 pool and team records this year.
“That’s basically Tony and Marshall. One complements the other one,” Sikkema said. “They both carry each other. There’s no competition. They are both hand-in-hand the greatest tandem duo swimmers I’ve ever had, not only at Friendswood, but in all my previous years of coaching.”
Laurito has been on a consistent path since he was a freshman. He impressed in his first trip to state by placing sixth in both the 200-meter individual medley with a time of 1 minute, 54.12 seconds and 100 backstroke (51.25). He captured gold for the first time in the 200 IM as a sophomore (1:49.62) before making a big jump.
Laurito swept the events as a junior, setting a Class 5A record in the 200 IM (1:47.34) before winning the 100 backstroke (48.98) for his second gold. He repeated as a state champion again last month after winning the 200 IM (1:48.13) while taking home his second straight 100 backstroke title (49.04).
Odom said most of their focus was on the relays. Odom and Laurito were confident in their individual events but knew they had to go fast on the team events if they wanted to earn a podium finish at state.
The Mustangs did just that as the 200 individual medley relay of Laurito, junior Nick Hardt, Odom and freshman Caleb Livesay set the Class 5A state meet record in 1:31.54. Odom made good on one of his goals by winning the 50 freestyle with a sub-20 time (19.96) and defending his 100butterfly title (47.61).
“I feel really happy with how we did as a team and how I did as an individual and I wouldn’t want to be swimming with anyone else,” Odom said. “I feel like since it was our last year, we definitely tried to go out with a bang.”