The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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Big Reds have big meet at Huron
Team will look for top-15 finish at state meet behind senior Bordine
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: March 8, 2007
For four years, Milan senior Kyle Cornelison has been swimming for a state cut and a berth at the Division 2 state meet. In the finals of the 100-yard butterfly at last weekend's River Rat Invitational at Ann Arbor Huron, Cornelison made his final turn well under state cut pace.
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Waiting for him at the other end of the pool was the entire Milan boys' swim team, cheering him on and celebrating with him as Cornelison finished in 57.20, an amazing four-second drop from his previous personal best and more than a full second under the state qualifying time.
For head coach Dan Heikka, it was the kind of moment that reminded him "why Milan swimming is special."
"That was the highlight of the meet, not just watching him, but watching his team come together for him. No question he had the biggest cheering section of anyone else in the race," Heikka said with a laugh. "You'd have to watch a tape of it to really understand how much that meant, and how exciting it was. I can't really describe it."
The best news for Milan, then, is that even a moment as thrilling as Cornelison's big swim didn't obscure an overall excellent performance for Milan in the meet. Heikka said ahead of the meet that the team's goal would be for every member of the team to post at least one lifetime best, and it proved to be a goal the Big Reds would meet.
"From top-to-bottom, we swam unbelievable," Heikka said. "They can walk away seeing how much better they swam from last year at this meet to this year. Overall we swam really, really well."
If there was any disappointment following the River Rat, it was that two Milan swimmers, Leandro Gabrielzyk and Kray Cornelison, had hoped to make their own state cuts and came up just short. But Heikka said they had reason to be proud, too.
"Leo and Kray felt they had a chance," he said, "and they fell just a little short. But just improving is a success. If you swim one one-hundredth of a second faster, that's still faster than you've ever swam before. For you, that's progress."
The River Rat was the final meet of the season for most of the Milan swim team, but the Big Reds' state meet team –– several members of which did not swim at Huron –– will continue preparing for this weekend's state meet at Oakland University.
In addition to Kyle Cornelison in the 100 butterfly, the team will feature Ryan Bordine in the 50 and 100 freestyles, Tim Hochradel in the 200 individual medley, Ian Pendleton in the 100 freestyle, Pendelton, Bordine, Kray Cornelison, and Jason Schroeder in the 200 freestyle relay, and Pendelton, Bordine, Hochradel and Schroeder in the 400 freestyle relay.
"We'd like to finish in the top 15," Heikka said. "For the talent we have, that would be a very successful meet for us."
The biggest story entering the meet for Milan will be Bordine. The senior will be seeded in the top 10 in both his races and will hope to close his career with a state title.
"In the 50, he absolutely has a chance," Heikka said. "Anything can happen. I've seen him do too many special things over the last four years to ever count him out."
Milan results from the River Rat Invitational include 200 medley relay: Gabrielzyk, Hochradel, Cornelison, Cornelison 1:50.33, Matt Smith, John Nuckels, Francisco Contreras, Trevor Pratt 2:15.65; 200 freestyle: Zach Olsen 1:58.44, Justin Beaudrie 2:00.29, Kyle Hodges 2:24.02; 200 IM: Nuckels 2:23.86, Jeremy Robison 2:41.83; 50 freestyle: Gabrielzyk 23.78, Kray Cornelison 23.94, Schroeder 24.19, Kyle Cornelison 24.23, Smith 24.75, Contreras 26.22, David Schwartz 29.20, Pratt 35.19; diving (11 dives): Cody Schmitt 317.05, Cody Baran 259.95; 100 butterfly: Kyle Cornelison 57.20; 100 freestyle: Gabrielzyk 53.12, Kray Cornelison 54.36, Smith 1:01.57, Hodges 1:05.83; 500 freestyle: Olsen 5:21.95, Schroeder 5:26.98, Beaudrie 5:24.38, Nuckels 5:36.86, Schwartz 6:39.19; 200 freestyle relay: Gabrielzyk, Contreras, Hochradel, Nuckels 1:37.90, Cornelsion, Cornelison, Beaudrie, Olsen 1:37.91; Schwartz, Robison, Pratt, Hodges 2:04.66; 100 breaststroke: Hochradel 1:07.37, Robison 1:22.78; 400 freestyle relay: Contreras, Smith, Beaudrie, Olsen 3:47.71, Hodges, Pratt, Robison and Schwartz 4:42.51.
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