Local swimmers set to compete in sectionals

Four members of the Bangor YWCA Hurricanes swim team are heading to New York today for a 2001 Speedo Championships Series sectional meet that begins Thursday.

The four Hurricanes, plus coach Tim Babcock, will join 14 other swimmers from various club teams in southern Maine and at least one local swimmer who competes out of state for the competition at the Nassau Aquatic Center on Long Island, N.Y.

The Championships Series sectional meets, which replace the Junior Nationals this year, are being held all over the country in the next few months. The Long Island meet is one of two for swimmers in the east; the other meet is being held in Fairfax, Va. from March 15-18.

Andy Magiera will be the first Hurricane in the water Thursday night when he swims in the 1000-yard freestyle, the meet’s opening event.

Lindsey Snyder, Kiki O’Donnell and Steve Cartwright are the three other Hurricanes swimmers headed to the meet.

Based on pre-meet seedings, Cartwright, a 21-year-old student at Catholic University who graduated from John Bapst Memorial High in Bangor, is the Bangor squad’s best chance for a top-16 finish, although the Hurricanes are hoping for some top-24 spots.

The top 16 finishers score points for their respective teams. Swimmers who earn the 17th-24th slots based on their preliminary swims compete again at night for a chance to qualify for the Phillips 66 National Championships.

Cartwright is seeded 16th in the 200 butterfly.

“The night swims are real big,” Babcock said. “It’s a chance to redo times.”

Swimmers qualify for sectionals by meeting time cuts set by each USA Swimming zone.

Besides the 1000, Magiera, 17, will swim the 200 free. Snyder, 15, will be swimming the 100 and 200 backstroke, and the 400 Individual Medley. O’Donnell, 15, is entered in the 1,650 freestyle (one mile) and the 400 IM.

The meet, according to Babcock, is the fastest of the sectional meets. Almost 500 swimmers are expected to attend.

Babcock said the meet will be a chance for Magiera to show off his swimming ability for college opportunities. Coaches from Marist and St. Bonaventure have expressed interest in the John Bapst senior.

“A lot of coaches are looking at these kids,” Babcock said. “It’s a good meet for recruiting purposes.”

Other Maine swimmers attending the meet come mostly from club teams like the Westbrook Seals, Portland Porpoises and Central Maine Aquatics of Cape Elizabeth. Portland’s Nate Stevens is seeded first in the 200 breaststroke.

Kyle Robinson of Sullivan, who swims for the Peddie School in New Jersey, has top seeds in the 500 free, 1000 free, 200 IM, and 400 IM.

Bangor’s Jason Thomas, who attends Mercersburg Academy, will swim the 500, 1000 and 1650 freestyle events at the Virginia sectional next weekend.