My Site News: D&C Article WEBSTER — As Section V's premier Class A swimmers were being honored on the podium after winning sectional championships Saturday, several champions used the stage to dedicate their titles to coaches and loved ones.
Serving as a fitting end to Darrell Byerts' 31-year Webster coaching career, Zack Wahl sent his coach out a winner by capturing sectionals in Byerts' old event, the 100 butterfly, in 53.02 seconds.
With his mother at home recovering from leukemia that is in remission, Pittsford Sutherland's Emmett Jacobi outlasted teammate Brandon McManus to win the 500 freestyle.
And after capturing their seventh-consecutive Class A team title, the Panthers dedicated their latest crown to coach Mark Morris, who dove into the Webster Aquatic Center's pool still sporting his traditional white shirt and burgundy, blue and white-striped tie to celebrate.
"I dedicated this race to my mom, and my dad was here taping the races for her; I'm so happy she gets to see me win, that was for her," said Jacobi, 15, a sophomore who sliced 14 seconds off his freshman time to win in 4 minutes, 48.25 seconds. "I've imagined this feeling so many times, winning sectionals and the team title, but this is better than I imagined."
It was a day of celebrations as Section V's highest classification will send 10 teams and 28 individual finishers to the state competition, March 6-7 in Nassau, Long Island.
"It's really nice to be able to end with a sectional championship; this is something I've dreamed about since I was in seventh-grade," said Wahl, 18, a Webster Thomas senior and one of seven state-bound Lakers.
"The last couple of years I've gotten second at sectionals so many times, and I just wanted to win one for myself and for Coach Byerts," Wahl said. "This win ties everything together and can give him some closure" at the end of his career.
In an incredible showing of depth, Class A will send five 400 freestyle relay teams to states, led by the hard-charging Greece Athena/Arcadia team. Anchored by senior Cory Zorsch, Athena/Arcadia took nearly six seconds off their preliminary time to edge out Pittsford in 3:15.91, three-hundredths of a second faster than the Panthers.
While Greece's 200 free relay punched its ticket to states on Thursday, for the first half of the 400 relay it appeared the team would be left behind. As Zorsch dove into the pool on his anchor leg, Athena/Arcadia sat in fifth. Thanks to his incredibly efficient stroke and shimmers, Zorsch closed the gap and delivered the win.
"Just what I needed today, to race from behind," a smiling and exhausted Zorsch said while clutching his Swimmer of the Meet trophy after winning titles in the 100 free (46.69, an All-American consideration time), 100 back (52.43) and 400 relay.
"This is surreal, and that race was ridiculous; everything was perfect. I knew we had this (performance) in us, but this was our best time by six seconds. That's unheard of, an amazing drop."
Just as impressive was the last of Section V's state qualifiers. Fairport's 400 relay team eked into states with a 3:20.94 performance, qualifying by the slimmest of margins, one one-hundredth of a second.
"I've never been a part of anything that close, and that late in the race. The whole experience was amazing and unreal," said senior Jake Horowitz, 17, who swam the lead leg of both the 200 medley relay and 400 relay state-bound teams.
"I couldn't see the clock when our last guy (Brendan McLaughlin) touched. So I looked at coach (Mike Kennedy) and waited for his reaction, and when he started jumping up and down, and I knew we'd qualified. That was an awesome feeling."
Penfield's Tom Doser was honored with the fourth-annual Donna Jean Mooney Memorial Award, which honors a junior or senior swimmer/diver who displays hard work, initiative, sportsmanship and commitment to the sport.
"I'm very emotional about receiving such a great award," said Doser, 18, a senior who wrote his winning essay on how swimming has given him a better work ethic. "Just being honored in the name of such a great person is a huge reward. I was drawn to the sport because it's about whoever works the hardest will improve in the pool."
