The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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Milan posts state-quality times at MISCA
Potential shown means Reds could again be state factor
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: February 21, 2008
If the Milan boys' swim team can continue to build on its strong performance at Saturday's Michigan Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association meet — the statewide, all-division meet at Eastern Michigan that serves as a kind of state meet preview — head coach Dan Heikka believes the Big Reds will find themselves in a familiar position come the actual state meet — challenging for a spot among the state's best.
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"I was very happy with how we swam," Heikka said. "If we can just hold it together for a couple of weeks, we'll be in good shape for the state meet. Then we'll see what happens."
Heikka was excited with several of his swimmers' showings on Saturday, starting with junior Tim Hochradel shaving nearly six seconds off his personal best for a time of 5:08.60 in the 500 freestyle, which was good for 34th place. Hochradel added a second season-best with a 46th-place 2:11.25 in the 200 individual medley.
"It was a just a great swim," Heikka said of Hochradel's 500 performance. "At the start of the season, we had no idea he'd be swimming the 500, but he's looked great. We knew he was capable, but we're still realizing just how fast he can go."
Hochradel was far from the Big Reds' only bright spot, however. Ian Pendleton grabbed Milan's highest-ranked finish with a personal-best, third-place time of 48.70, which was faster than his previous season-low by nearly two full seconds. The senior added a second top-10 finish with a ninth-place swim of 22.52 —also a personal-best — in the 50 freestyle.
Other individual swims included Kray Cornelison missing a state cut in the 50 freestyle by just .16 seconds after swimming a 36th-place 23.35 and Zack Olson setting a new personal best in the 500 freestyle, swimming 5:14.48 for 45th.
"Ian had a great meet. Both of those times put him firmly in the top eight (in Division 3) right now," Heikka said. "Kray had a good time in the 50 and Olson had a nice 500 that solidified his standing. It was a good meet for us all the way around."
Milan's 200 freestyle relay of Matt Smith, Cornelison, Justin Beaudrie and Pendleton placed 14th with a season-best 1:32.85. The Big Reds also swam their season-best in the 200 medley relay, where Olson, Hochradel, Tyler Fisher and Kray Cornelison took 33rd in 1:49.38.
An injury to Pendleton hurt the 400 freestyle relay, the only Milan relay not to set a new low as Beaudrie, Cornelison, Olson and Hochradel went 3:33.22 for 39th.
Getting the medley relay under the state meet qualifying bar is one of the big goals for Milan as the Big reds prepare for this Saturday's league meet against Riverview, the only other Huron school with an active boys' swim program.
"We just have to put it all together," Heikka said of making the cut. "We've got some unfinished business. We've got three or four guys that stand a good chance to make the state team. The cuts are so important because if you can get there, you'll have a good chance to score."
But Heikka also will be looking for big things from his younger swimmers.
"The development of those guys, the Dylan Shearers and Westen Schroeders and Joe Martins, that's been great this year," Heikak said. "They've looked the best they've looked all year this last week. They'll be shaved for Saturday and we're excited to see what they're capable of."
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