All-Area Athletes & Teams
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1470169
Page 20 www.yoursun.com By PATRICK OBLEY SPORTS WRITER It was an outstanding swim season for Venice and Charlotte this fall, though all area teams definitely had some highlights to hang their swim caps on. The Venice teams flew (swam?) under the radar for most of the season before taking districts, regionals and state by storm, led by the dominant performances of freshman Maeve Eckerman and junior Amadeusz Knop. The boys finished second in the Class 4A state meet while the girls finished ninth. The Charlotte boys, spearheaded by James Rose and Charlie Plaisted, had a nice rebound from a rocky, covid-addled 2020 season, finishing seventh at the Class 2A state meet. Lemon Bay's Meghan Brown and Joey Sacco had a successful senior bows while Becket Koss set the stage for his own curtain call in 2022. North Port's Michael Kent is already making waves as a sopho- more and Port Charlotte's Tonio Hensel set himself up for his senior victory tour in 2022. Perhaps the most exciting part? Of the 32 members of this years Sun All-Area first and second team honorees, 14 will be returning next fall. Venice's Jana Minorini is the coach of the year. GIRLS FIRST TEAM MEGHAN BROWN LEMON BAY, SENIOR Capped her decorated career by placing 13th in the 100 butterfly and 15th in the 50 free. MAEVE ECKERMAN VENICE, FRESHMAN At the state meet, Eckerman finished second in the 50 free and third in the 100 back. She also participated on the eighth- place 400 free relay team and the 13th-place 200 medley team. SARAH KOENIG VENICE, SENIOR Recorded a pair of 14th-place finishes at state in the 200 medley and 100 breastroke and was a member of the eighth- place 400 free relay team. CELINA MYERS CHARLOTTE, SOPHOMORE Placed 11th in the 100 breast at state and was a member of the 11th place 200 free relay and 12th- place 200 medley relay teams. LARA OKTAY VENICE, SENIOR Placed 13th at state in the 100 breaststroke and was a part of the 13th- place 200 medley relay team. BRYANNA ROBINSON PORT CHARLOTTE, SENIOR Finished eighth in the state 100 back and was a member of the Pirates' 13th-place 400 free relay team. EMMA THEIS VENICE, SENIOR Finished 10th in the 500 free at state and was a member of the Indians' eighth-place 400 free relay squad. SECOND TEAM ADDYSON DOMIAN, Venice, sophomore ROXANA MANTA, Charlotte, senior MEGAN MORALES, Charlotte, junior KASEY ROY, Charlotte, freshman ZOE SCHWARTZ, Charlotte, freshman CAROLINE AYLWARD, Port Charlotte, junior EVELYN NEGRETTE, Port Charlotte, senior MELODY STELMASZEK, Port Charlotte, senior LYDIA DOUTHIT, Venice, sophomore MICHELLE WHELTON, Venice, senior BOYS FIRST TEAM MAX ECKERMAN VENICE, JUNIOR Placed third at state in the 100 breast and was a member of the second-place 200 medley and seventh-place 200 free relay teams. MICHAEL KENT NORTH PORT, SOPHOMORE As the school's lone representative, finished sixth at state in the 100 breast and 10th in the 200 medley. AMADEUSZ KNOP VENICE, JUNIOR At state, Knop a pair of second-place finishes in the 200 medley and 100 back and played his part on the second-place 200 medley relay and fifth- place 400 free relay teams. BECKET KOSS LEMON BAY, JUNIOR Finished sixth at state in the 100 butterfly and 10th in the 50 free. JACK LAMBERT VENICE, SENIOR Placed ninth at state in the 500 free and 13th in the 100 back. Also was a member of the sec- ond-place 200 medley and fifth-place 400 free relay teams. CHARLIE PLAISTED CHARLOTTE, SENIOR Came back after two years away to place second at state in the 100 butterfly and eighth in the 50 free. He also anchored the seventh-place free relay and 11th-place 400 free relay teams. JAMES ROSE CHARLOTTE, SENIOR After talking Plaisted into swimming again, Rose pointed in four state events, just like his best friend. He took fifth in the 200 free and eighth in the 100 free while leading o the seventh-place 200 free and 11th-place 400 free relay squads. SECOND TEAM TONIO HENSEL, Port Charlotte, junior KIRILL LUKA, Venice, senior GAGE McCAULEY, Charlotte, senior OWEN MOWRY, Venice, senior EMERY RESZKA, Venice, senior JOEY SACCO, Lemon Bay, senior AIDAN SIERS, Venice, sophomore GAGE SLORP, Charlotte, junior Venice, Charlotte boys pace standout season SUN FILE PHOTO BY PATRICK OBLEY North Port's Michael Kent won the 100 breastroke with a time of 1:02.43 during the Port Charlotte Invitational at Centennial Park. ALL-AREA SWIMMING