Championships up for grabs at WMass meet
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A trio of top area swimmers will head into Sunday's Western Massachusetts Championship Meet with a variety of hopes and expectations.
Amanda Lucia of Easthampton, Meriza Werenski of Holyoke Catholic and Ciaran Dillon-Davidson of Amherst Regional are among the many swimmers seeking individual titles. The girls meet begins at 9 a.m. at Springfield College. The boys meet starts at 3:30 p.m.
Lucia, a senior, is the defending sectional champion in the 100-yard butterfly. She set a meet record of 57.55 seconds last season. Lucia is seeded second (59.10) behind Christina Greco (59.06) of Minnechaug.
From a physical standpoint, Lucia understands just what it will take for her to go under the mark she set last year. However, because it is going to be one of her last high school meets, not everything will be entirely the same.
"The preparation to swim fast is going to stay the same," Lucia said. "Emotionally I think that I'm just really excited to finish it off."
Despite the anticipation, Lucia knows she has to keep a level head and stay on task.
"I'm not looking to be sad until after what is accomplished is accomplished," she said.
Lucia is seeded second (2:12.81) in her other individual event, the 200 individual medley. She placed second last year and if she is going to win this time around, she will have to better Werenski, who is the top seed at 2:06.94.
Werenski won the 200 free and 100 breast at least year's sectional meet. The junior will compete in the 200 IM and 500 free this season. She set the meet record in the 200 IM with a time of 2:05.84 in 2010.
Werenski's seed time in the 500 is 5:02.75. Julie Lajoie of East Longmeadow is second at 5:12.70. Lajoie set the meet and WMass record of 4:59.31 last year.
Holyoke Catholic coach Ryan Yucka realizes her potential.
"It'd be great to see her drop a little bit of time. ... If she's feeling good we'll have very high standards for her," Yucka said. "(I'm) always expecting her to potentially break a state record or something along those lines."
Werenski is looking forward to each race.
"I know that Julie Lajoie is definitely going to go fast in her 500 and Amanda Lucia, she's definitely going to go fast in her 200 IM," Werenski said. "Those are going to be good races."
Other top seeds include: Holyoke Catholic's Delaney Dyjak, first in 50 free (25.12); Easthampton's Jessica Harper, first in 100 free (54.45) and first in 100 back (59.87); and Holyoke Catholic's 400 free relay.
The Amhert Regional boys team will be led by sophomore Ciaran Dillon-Davidson, who will look to build off of a couple of fourth-place finishes in the 100 fly and 500 free at last year's sectional meet.
Dillon-Davidson is seeded second in the 100 fly (55.56) and first in the 500 free (5:00.71).
Dillon-Davidson said he wants to perform well but doesn't have any specific goals. He also wants the team to perform well.
"It's what the whole team has been working toward," he said. "It's the most important meet of the season."
Dillon-Davidson recognizes who may prove to be his most difficult competition in each event.
Aaron Szcepanek of Palmer is the top seed in the 100 fly in 54.94.
"He's obviously going to be hard to beat. There are also two other swimmers, George Somerville (Taconic) and Justin Liu" of Longmeadow, Dillon-Davidson said. "In the 500, probably Ryan Maniello" of South Hadley.
Somerville and Liu are seeded third and fourth, respectively, in the 100 fly, while Maniello is seeded second in the 500 free.
Other top boys seeds include: Northampton's Colin Machat, first in 50 free (22.84).
