Published: November 22, 2008 11:13 pm      

GIRLS SWIMMING: Ken West's Dressel sets state mark in 200

BUFFALO — Marissa Dressel’s latest performance left her speechless. Sometimes it’s difficult to find the right words when you’ve exceeded your own lofty expectations.

Dressel, a Kenmore West junior, captured two state titles Saturday at the 2008 New York State Public High School Athletic Association Swimming and Diving Championships, held at Erie Community College’s Flickinger Center.

Along the way, she added another entry to her lengthy list of records, this time on the state level.

Dressel’s time of 1 minute, 48.47 seconds in the 200-yard freestyle broke the state public school record of 1:49.76, which was set in 2002 by Newburgh’s Kiersten Koronowicz.

“I came in wanting to do as well as I could,” Dressel said. “I had no idea it would be this good.”

Dressel’s second victory — which like the 200, came in an All-American time — was in the 100 freestyle. She touched in 50.99, just two hundreths of a second in front of second-place finisher Lindsey Norberg of Ithaca.

“I could see she was going to be right next to me,” Dressel said. “I just kept my head down and did the best I could.”

Dressel was also a part of two Ken West relay teams that medaled. The Blue Devils’ 200 freestyle team finished seventh, as Haley Rice, Dressel, Leah Villari and Lindsey Sagasta clocked a time of 1:40.19. The same four swimmers teamed up to take sixth in the 400 free relay in a time of 3:38.26.

“It’s a terrific end to a great season,” Blue Devils coach Carrie Meetze said. “It’s nice to see their hard work pay off.”

None of the four members of West’s relay teams are seniors.

“We’re excited we get another year to come back,” Dressel said.

Ken West wasn’t the only Niagara Frontier League school represented at Saturday’s meet. The Niagara Falls Wolverines’ 200 medley relay team of Kelsey Ward, Lauren Evans, Maggie Garito and Ana Gabriele finished 21st in 1:56.75.

The Falls’ 200 freestyle relay of Emily York, Gabriele, Ashley Eddings and Alexa Masker took 19th in 1:42.80, while the 400 free relay team of York, Gabriele, Eddings and Kristen Champoux clocked a time of 3:47.62 to finish 20th.

Kim Holden of Section I’s Fox Lane was named outstanding swimmer at the event. Holden’s winning time of 53.98 in the 100 backstroke was more than a second better than the previous state record of 55.15 set in 2005.

Holden also took first place in the 100 butterfly.

Swimming at preliminaries Friday, North Tonawanda’s Andrea Parish narrowly missed out on qualifying in the 50 freestyle, as did Starpoint’s Jessica Peronne and the Falls’ York.

Contact editor Jay Skurski at 693-1000, ext. 117.



2008 NYSPHSAA Girls Swimming and Diving Championships

200 medley relay — Ithaca (Shelby Williams, Lauren Norberg, Lindsey Norberg, Nicole Heise), 1:47.21; 200 free — Marissa Dressel (Kenmore West), 1:48.47; 200 IM — La. Norberg (Ithaca), 2:05.26; 50 free — Mallory Morrell (Rush Henrietta), 23.45; diving — Jenny Chiang (Fairport), 504.35; 100 fly —- Kim Holden (Fox Lane), 54.40; 100 free — Dressel (KW), 50.99; 500 free — Joan Weaver (Sayville-Bayport-Blue Point), 4:57.29; 200 free relay — Canandaigua (Julia Messina, Brittney Kuras, Paula Bentley, Heather Savage), 1:37.32; 100 back — Holden (Fox Lane), 53.98; 100 breast -- La. Norberg (Ithaca), 1:02.69; 400 free relay — Ithaca (Heise, Kailey Gardner, La. Norberg, Li. Norberg), 3:29.99.