North dives in with first team win Jan. 3

Published 6:00 pm Saturday, January 7, 2006

POULSBO — Anyone who picked up pounds and slowed down over the holiday season can look to North Kitsap’s Aqua-Vikes as prime examples of the power of practice. North kicked back into the streamline with its first team win over Olympic Jan. 3, despite a two-week hiatus.

North’s performance made waves not only in the final score, 105-58, but also in the column of best times. Seventeen NK individuals turned in personal-bests to help capture the team’s first win.

For the first time this season, North was up against a team like itself. Neither squad was represented on the diving board, so the meet was completely decided in the shallow end of the pool.

“Some guys got some technique work in over the break to boost them over the edge,” NK coach Greg Braun said of the best-times. “(Practice) was a mixed bag, some were there, some weren’t, but it was good to see (the team) come back and jump right in.”

North’s 200 meter medley relay combination of Jeffrey Reeves, Krister Seaburg, Brian Surber and Josh Jones jumped into the meet with a 2:01.18 time, more than 10 seconds ahead of Olympic for a first place start.

In the second race of the day, Kyle Rencher added the 200 freestyle event to his list of district qualifications — he has qualified in four different events. However, his 2:17.92 finish was only good enough for second as Trojan Jace Caulkins turned in a 2:10.70 time.

“He’s added some tremendous depth that we didn’t realize we’d get,” Braun said of the Rencher. “He’s got all of his strokes down and the potential to qualify in the 200 IM is there.”

In Tuesday’s 200 IM, Reeves stayed consistent, taking first place while NK sophomore Justin Roulanaitis turned in his best time of the year at just over three minutes, good enough for third place.

Josh Jones, in his second meet back from a shoulder injury, also swam consistent with a 25.71 — second place finish as he and teammate Brian Parrott raced for first place, with Mason Holmes just behind. The Viking trio finished 1-2-3.

Likewise, in the 100 M butterfly race, Rencher and Seaburg battled for first and second place and pushed each other to their best times of the year. Seaburg improved his previous mark, set in the first meet of the season, by 2/10ths of a second, and Rencher improved by almost a second.

“Every little bit counts,” Braun noted. And as all the little pieces came together, Spencer Nagley, Cory Ray and Brandyn Stone each reached for individual best times in the 100 M free and North clutched a 58-30 lead halfway through the meet.

The Vikes received even more of a boost in the 500 free as Holmes bettered his season-pinnacle by six seconds in a dogfight with Oly’s Jacob Nord. The two stayed neck and neck for most of the drawn-out race. Out of the last turn, Holmes was fighting from behind, but Nord wouldn’t allow a come back. He finished in 7:34.81 and Holmes anchored at 7:37.81.

“There were some really good races (Tuesday). We are seeing kids step up and that’s fun to watch.”” Braun said. “This is a cohesive group of guys and they support each other.”

And when one hears the roar as his ears come out of the water, or sees his teammates gathered at the end of the pool pulling for him, excellence is enticed, Braun added.

That team support has been a constant thus far for the Vikes, however, endurance has flickered, Braun noted.

“We’re in a phase of the season where we’ve got two meets a week for a few weeks, and we’re going to have to work through it,” Braun said. “We may or may not see best times but we’ve got to get what we lost over break and get back on track for the end of the season. “

Positively for North, the team is very capable of the preparation due to the fact that they are coachable, Braun said. He said he has already seen the effects in swimmers like Eggers, who came in new to the sport, learning the stroke and has now qualified for district in the backstroke.

“Some (of the guys) are starting to realize that it’s the small things that make the difference,” said Braun. “When they have that desire, it can provide the opportunity for success.”