2005-06 Enterprise All-County swim teams

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

John Kitner, Great Mills junior

Résumé: The Hornets did not win a meet as a team during the 2005-06 campaign, but Kitner shined and the three coaches in the county were very aware of it. Kitner transferred to Great Mills from Patuxent, joining his sister Jackie, and did not miss a beat. He was the top swimmer in the SMAC championships in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 51.14 seconds, outlasting former teammate Trey Fischer of Patuxent by .38 of a second. Kitner — who was also voted a first-team all-conference performer — also took first in the 200 freestyle at the SMAC meet, winning with a time of 1 minute 56.90 seconds. Great Mills had only four swimmers at the meet and took eighth with Kitner being a big help. At regionals, he placed second in the 200 free (1:55.16) and sixth in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.40). During the season, the junior lost in dual meet competition only twice.

High praise: ‘‘He led a group of just four boys to an eighth-place finish at SMAC in his first year at Great Mills, taking two SMAC championship spots and setting a bruising relay pace for his teammates.” — Great Mills coach Brent Gordon

‘‘He carried that team a lot, based on his leadership and his results.” — Chopticon coach Robbie Davis

‘‘John gets my vote because of what he had to do with that team.” — Leonardtown coach Megan Shelton

Girls athlete of the year

Allison Davis, Leonardtown senior

Résumé: Davis goes out a champion and an undefeated swimmer. The Raiders did not lose a single dual meet in her two years and the team finished first in the SMAC championships both seasons, all coming in the first two campaigns of the program.

In the pool, the senior showed why she’s one of the best swimmers around by finishing first at the SMAC and regional meets in the 100 free. Not only did Davis win both, but she did in record times. She completed the event in 55.37 at regionals Feb. 20 then had a 54.76 at the SMAC meet five days later. Davis also took first in the 500 free (5:33.63). If that wasn’t enough, she was part of Leonardtown’s 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams, both of which set SMAC and regional meet records.

High praise: ‘‘She got her best times when she was injured. This was her second year, so she understood more what was going on. She was the main focus of our team from the beginning.” — Shelton

‘‘I think that she’s just a tough swimmer. They had really good swimmers [at Leonardtown], but she brought out the greatness in them. As a senior, I just think her leadership led that team to a dominant performance.” — Robbie Davis

Coach of the year

Robbie Davis

Chopticon (second season)

Résumé: Shelton could take this honor for all the work she’s done in the first two years with that Leonardtown program, but Davis is the selection for the second straight year. He didn’t have much to work with in his first season, but many more swimmers came out for the team this go-round and Chopticon had some success.

The Braves won just one meet between the two squads in 2004-05, going 1-22 combined. The teams were a combined 8-16 this year. Improvement was not only found in the win-loss column, but in the pool as well.

Davis is interested in how much a swimmer drops times and couldn’t have been any happier this season. As a whole, Chopticon dropped 766 seconds and set 22 team records.

Boys

200 free: Kitner

First at SMAC (1:56.90), second at regionals (1:55.16)

200 IM: Jackson Webb, Leonardtown junior

First at SMAC (2:04.50, record), third at regionals (2:09.69)

50 free: Zane Jones, Great Mills senior

Seventh at SMAC (24.56), eighth at regionals (24.26); first St. Mary’s County swimmer to place in each event at both meets.

100 butterfly: Jake Brown, Leonardtown sophomore

Third at SMAC (1:01.78), fifth at regionals (1:01.50)

100 free: Kitner

First at SMAC (51.14)

500 free: Webb

First at SMAC (5:15.55), third at regionals (5:06.21)

100 back: Brown

Fifth at SMAC (1:05.16), 11th at regionals (1:05.70)

100 breast: Kitner

Sixth at regionals (1:05.40)

200 medley relay team: Leonardtown (Webb, Igor Laray, Brown, John Cudd)

Fourth at SMAC (1:52.11); eighth at regionals (1:53.66)

200 free relay team: Leonardtown (Kevin Stamm, Cudd, Christopher Rauh, Shaun Loughran)

Third at SMAC (1:41.27), seventh at regionals (1:41.00)

400 free relay team: Leonardtown (Rauh, Loughran, Brown, Webb)

Third at SMAC (3:34.91), fifth at regionals (3:41.73)

Girls

200 free: Caitlin Branaman, Leonardtown sophomore

Third at SMAC (2:15.29)

200 IM: Brittany Culpepper, Leonardtown freshman

First at SMAC (2:17.72, record); second at regionals (2:19.60)

50 free: Justin Cavnor, Leonardtown freshman

Second at SMAC (26.47), sixth at regionals (26.76)

100 butterfly: Cavnor

Second at SMAC (1:06.87), seventh at regionals (1:07.99)

100 free: Davis

First in SMAC (54.76, record), first at regionals (55.37, record)

500 free: Davis

First at SMAC (5:33.63), fourth at regionals (5:36.85)

100 back: Culpepper

First at SMAC (1:02.91, record), first at regionals (1:02.86)

100 breast: Davi Clark, Leonardtown freshman

First at SMAC (1:13.95), sixth at regionals (1:15.05)

200 medley relay team: Leonardtown (Culpepper, Clark, Cavnor, Davis)

First at SMAC (1:57.30, record), first at regionals (1:56.94, record)

200 free relay team: Leonardtown (Branaman, Clark, Kiera McNamara, Caitlin Rondeau)

First in SMAC (1:49.91); missed record by two-tenths of a second

400 free relay team: Leonardtown (Branaman, Cavnor, Culpepper, Davis)

First at SMAC (3:52.06, record), second at regionals (3:55.55, record)