Demi Gatrell was a marked young lady Friday, and it wasn’t just
by opposing Gilroy.
Gilroy – Demi Gatrell was a marked young lady Friday, and it wasn’t just by opposing Gilroy.
The San Benito freshman phenom was wearing a blue T-shirt, which is generally a no-no for a ‘Baler. After hearing friendly taunts of “traitor,” she explained that it was a shirt from Valley View One, a team she was involved with last summer in Ohio.
Gatrell was a double winner as San Benito’s girls eased past the Mustangs 131-45. The ‘Baler boys were pushed only slightly more in a 116-54 win, and yet coach Leif Nordstrom praised Gilroy as the best opponent his boys’ team had faced in the Tri-County Athletic League.
Gatrell won the 50 freestyle in 25.76 and 100 freestyle in 56.83. Those are just two of the eight individual events she and sophomore Shelli Reed have qualified for in the Central Coast Section meet that is May 19 at the Stanford University pool.
“I really have no clue what coach will put me in,” said Gatrell, who does double practices daily with San Benito Aquatics.
Reed was also a double winner, taking the 100 butterfly in a season-best 59.3 and the 100 backstroke in 1:01.
“They have a bright future,” Nordstrom said of Gatrell and Reed who seem to prove in almost every meet that the future is now for the ‘Baler girls (6-2 overall, 5-1 TCAL).
Nordstrom likes to move his girls around to different events. Katie Buzzetta, a CCS qualifier in the 50 and 100 freestyle, swam the 500 and was first in 5:39.82.
“We mix it up a lot,” Nordstrom said.
Lacey Larson posted her best time of the season in the 200 freestyle, finishing in 2:04.56.
David Smith and Brandon Drogenmuller were double winners for the boys (6-0 TCAL, 7-1 overall). Smith won the 100 butterfly in 53.8 and the 100 backstroke in 58.3. Drogenmuller won the 200 freestyle in 1:54.20 and the 500 freestyle in 5:00.59.
“Some are swimming well,” Nordstrom said. “Some have had some significant time drops.”
One in particular is Steven Shattuck, who was pushed by Gilroy’s David Pribyl to a a season-best 1:06.96 in the 100 breaststroke, which is less than one second away from a CCS qualifying time. Pribyl finished at 1:07.11.
Most of the ‘Baler boys, however, won their events by plenty of time. Blaine Curtice, who along with Jason Andrade, Smith and Drogenmuller are CCS qualifiers, won the 200 individual medley in 2:06.66, which was almost eight seconds faster than runner-up Eddie Malick of Gilroy.
Nevertheless, Nordstrom isn’t necessarily expecting fast times at this juncture because San Benito swimmers are putting in long practice sessions as they prepare for the TCAL meet May 12 at Alvarez.
“We’re at our peak yardage now,” Nordstrom said, “so I wasn’t expecting great times. We’re about to begin our tapering.”
The ‘Balers finish their regular season May 4 at home against North Salinas.
