CCSL Championships get under way today

• By ROBIN FAMBROUGH
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Nov 7, 2009

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Top individuals and teams can be showcased within the same high school swimming event. And they always are at the Capital City Swim League Championships.

The two-day meet that features approximately 25 teams starts today with two sessions at the Crawfish Aquatics pool and concludes with the finals set for Sunday at the LSU Natatorium.

Defending champions Catholic High and St. Joseph’s Academy help lead the list of teams entered. Five different individuals have the top entry times in two different events.

“I’m real excited about this meet,” SJA first-year co-coach Lyle Robelot said. “All my girls are seeded in the top 15, and I think they can swim faster.

“Because we had a split squad in our meets this year this will be the first time some of our relays have been together. I think we can be successful. We’re not taking anyone for granted.”

Today’s action begins at 9 a.m. at the Crawfish pool with preliminary races for girls competitors. Prelims for boys swimmers will likely begin between 12:30 and 1 p.m.

“I think we’re in a good shape going into this weekend,” Catholic coach Doug Logsdon said. “We’re using this meet as a way to prepare us for the state meet. The goal is to swim as fast as we can.

“We don’t even talk about the other teams. Our guys have enough to worry about when it comes to concentrating on our team and their individual events.”

University High, Baton Rouge High, Lutcher and Parkview Baptist and Episcopal are expected to be other challengers.

“In this case, I think (team) size does matter,” UHS coach Jason Lewis said. “We have some talented individuals who should do well in their events. But we don’t have the depth to challenge for a sixth, 10 or 12th place in every event like the larger schools.

“The thing I like about this meet is you have all the top competitors from all the teams there. They get to go up against the best swimmers and see how they do.”

Austin Butler of Episcopal, Joanne Chien of Baton Rouge High, Kathryn “Smacker” Miles of University, John Michael Moore of Parkview Baptist and Tony Prejean of Central are the swimmers with multiple top marks.

Butler has the top marks of 21.92 in the 50-yard freestyle and 48.63 in the 100 freestyle for the boys. Chien has the top girls marks in the 50 freestyle (24.51) and 100 backstroke (59.37), while Miles has the top girls times in the 200 individual medley (2:16.66) and the 500 freestyle (5:15.51).