SALINAS
Although San Benito’s Shelli Reed posted a pair of Central Coast Section qualifying times and easily led the Lady ‘Balers past Notre Dame 112-73 last Friday at Hartnell College in Salinas, it was the ‘Baler boys who escaped with a narrow 92-86 victory over Palma that was certainly helped by Wednesday’s diving portion.
“Without diving,” San Benito head coach Christine Schafer said, “we would have been tied.
“We had only one diver because the other two were sick and that was the difference.”
Diver Tim Ippolito was San Benito’s lone competitor and produced enough points to supply the Haybalers with an edge.
“But we’re working really hard,” Schafer added. “We did not rest and we didn’t place people in their prime events.”
The victories keep both San Benito squads undefeated in the Tri-County Athletic League this season.
The upcoming TCAL Finals in early May, meanwhile, appeared to be a three-team race between San Benito, Gilroy and Salinas. But with Palma able to stay close last Friday, nearly upsetting the ‘Balers, the Chieftains have suddenly found their way into the discussion.
“Now that I’ve seen Palma, they’re gonna be in there mixing it up,” Schafer said. “TCAL’s is gonna be a brawl pretty much for the boys.”
For the girls, however, San Benito hasn’t found much competition along the road toward TCAL Finals, with Notre Dame being the latest victim.
Reed paced the Lady ‘Balers to the 39-point win against the Spirits, clocking CCS qualifying times in both the 200 free (2:00.65) and the 500 free (5:26.33).
Those two events give Reed CCS qualifying times in seven of the eight individual events, with only the 100 breast remaining.
“They did great,” Schafer said of the Lady ‘Balers.
San Benito’s Demi Gatrell was very close to recording a pair of CCS times as well, but she finished a half-second short in the 100 fly and one and a half seconds short in the 200 free.
Last weekend, meanwhile, Reed competed at the Far Western Championships at the Morgan Hill Aquatics Center and compiled a first-place finish in the 50 free (24.4) and a fifth-place finish in the 200 IM (2:10.95).
Far Western’s is considered the largest swim meet in California, welcoming swimmers from 11 different states.
