William Slaman likes his team’s chances.
“I think we have a very good chance of winning the league this year,” said Slaman, a senior on the Council Rock South boys swim team.
The Golden Hawks stated their case with a 112-26 win over Bensalem in a Suburban One League Patriot Division double dual meet on Tuesday at Bensalem. CR South’s girls team also won, 95-75.
CR South’s boys team has just one league title to its credit, the 2006 championship of the SOL Continental Conference.
“Our underclassmen have been pulling well more than their weight, our upperclassmen, although we don’t have many juniors, they are pulling more than their weight and our senior class is strong,” Slaman said. “I think that out of all the years I’ve been here, we have the best chance of winning this year.
“That’s my No. 1 goal for the team, to win meets and try to win the division. I’ve never been more excited for a season. It’s disappointing that it’s my last since we finally have a team that has a lot of potential, so I want to make the best of it. I know we’re going to do good things.”
The victory over the Owls was a step in that direction.
“Every win we get, whether it’s an individual race or the meet itself is a big morale boost,” Slaman said. “It goes a long way into our psyche, which is good for us as far as helping us do what we need to do to get those successful times and successful results.”
A team captain this year along with Jake Teplov and Matt Vinnikov, he is considering attending the University of Memphis on an ROTC scholarship and majoring in accounting.
Owen Hamnett won two individual events for the Golden Hawks, taking the 500 freestyle (5:33.27) and 100 breaststroke (1:13.48).
Edward Roytman was the top finisher in the 200 individual medley (2:21.70), Sam Cantwell was first in the 50 freestyle (24.60), Teplov took first in the 100 butterfly (59.96) and Nikita Jenza topped the field in the 100 freestyle to round out the individual wins for CR South.
Vinnikov, Slaman, Teplov and Umid Akmalov opened the meet with a victory in the 200 medley relay (1:52.68), Nikita Stefanovich, Adrian Oreper, Edward Roytman and Jenza won the 200 freestyle relay and Vinnikov, Oreper, Ryan Wojciechowski and Cantwell triumphed in the 400 freestyle relay (3:59.21).
For the girls, Elana Rhoge was a double winner, winning the 200 freestyle (2:14.76) and 100 freestyle (1:00.89), while Ella Messmer won both the 50 freestyle (28.35) and 500 freestyle (6:01.17) and Alanya Steele won the 100 butterfly (1:15.30) and 100 backstroke (1:11.74). Ella Rossi took first in the 100 breaststroke (1:09.82).
Steele, Rossi, Messmer and Eve Sala teamed up to win the 200 medley relay (2:07.56), Rhoge, Bailey Gassmann, Sala and Rossi were the winners of the 200 freestyle relay (1:57.45) and Messmer, Gassmann, Steele and Rhoge touched first in the 400 freestyle relay (4:23.34) to finish the meet for the Golden Hawks.
“I’m really enjoying the season so far,” said Rhoge, a junior. “It’s a better season than last year because the team is closer and we’re competing in more meets.
“I’d like us to try to get as many people as we can to districts and to place as many as we can at SOLs. We’re a little too small to win a ton of meets, so it’s important for us to focus on achieving as many individual goals as we can.
“For myself, I’d like to get as many district cuts as I can so that I can decide what I really want to swim there. It’s good to have more choices.
“I feel like the team’s in a good place. We have a good coaching staff and we have a lot of people showing up at practices and working hard. We’re small, but we have good individuals who really care about the sport and the team and I think that’s what really matters.”
She was pleased with the team victory.
“This was a really good win for us,” she said. “I think as a team we really needed it, just to get our morale up a little bit.”
The Golden Hawks host Neshaminy in an SOL Patriot Division double dual meet on Friday at 3:30 p.m.
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