ESG - Swimming
SHAQ supplies large contingent of participants
by ALLISON WHALEN Intern

Connor Hoffman, Sarah Mazuchowski; second row - Patrick Munroe, Janelle Munroe, Dan Carver, Jim Losi, Tyler Carver and Sarah Morris.

Anyone who doubts the presence of sportsmanship and camaraderie at the Empire State Games can look no further than the Western bench at the Scarsdale Municipal Pool in Westchester County.

This year, the Sweet Home Aquatic swim team, SHAQ, sets a new precedent for representation. The Western team boasts 12 SHAQ swimmers for the upcoming games.

Vince McCarthy, head coach of SHAQ as well as the Western swim team, said it's a big deal for his swimmers to attend the games together.

"Most of these kids have been swimming together for six, seven and eight years, and they are happy they can all go together," said McCarthy, who is in his 14th year of coaching SHAQ.

James Losi, four-year Empire State Games veteran, agreed with his coach.

"I like getting the chance to hang out with my team and be with them in a new environment," said Losi, who will be a senior at Canisius High School.

Not only will the Empire State Games be a chance for SHAQ swimmers to cheer on their teammates, the games will give many of the swimmers the opportunity to see their siblings in action.

For the three sets of siblings on SHAQ, the Games will be a family affair.

Losi, who won a silver medal in the 200-meter freestyle and a bronze in the 200 butterfly in the scholastic age group last year, said he is excited for his younger sister, Lauren, to compete this year in the scholastic 100 butterfly.

"It'll be nice to go down with my whole family, instead of just my mom and me," said James Losi.

Lauren Losi, who will be a freshman at Nardin in the fall, said having her brother at her first Games is comforting.

"I'm glad to have my brother with me because he has been through this and knows how it feels," Lauren Losi said. "He knows what's probably going on in my head and can help me out."

The Losi duo is joined by Janelle Munroe, a 2006 scholastic bronze medalist in the 100 meter butterfly, and her two younger siblings, who are competing in their first games. Patrick Munroe will compete in the scholastic 100 backstroke and Teresa Munroe will swim the scholastic 100 butterfly.

Tyler Carver, a Canisius High School junior, and his brother, Daniel Carver, who will swim for Colgate University in the fall, hope to contribute to the sibling domination. Last year, Tyler won a silver in the scholastic 200 breaststroke and Daniel snagged two golds as a member of the open 800 and 400 free relays. This year, Tyler qualified for the scholastic 200 IM, as well as the 100 and 200 meter breaststrokes. Daniel, in his fourth year of Empire State Games competition, will swim the 50 and 100 freestyle.

In addition to the continued success of the SHAQ siblings, Paige Gutowski expects to make a splash on her own.

As a freshman at Sweet Home High School, Gutowski qualified for the New York State High School Swimming Championships in the 200-yard IM. In her second year competing at the Games, Gutowski hopes to improve on her second place finishes in the scholastic 200 IM and 200 breaststroke.

"I want to medal in the 200 IM and 100 and 200 breaststroke," Gutowski said. "I'm excited and more confident this year. I would like to get a junior national cut in one of my events too."

High expectations for performance are held not only by the SHAQ swimmers. McCarthy knows his swimmers have put in the work to achieve best times.

"For three weeks the team has done doubles. This means practicing from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. and again from 6 to 8 p.m. We were doing up to 10,000 to 12,000 yards a day," McCarthy said. "Over the weekend we will even practice in an outdoor long-course pool like the one they will compete in at the Games."

McCarthy, who has been the head coach for the Western swim team for 10 years, said the games are a worthwhile experience for his swimmers.

"The Games are a great place for the kids to swim well and see the benefits of their hard work," McCarthy said. "It's good for them to get to experience an Olympic style meet with an opening ceremonies and award presentations."

Jim Losi said aside from the benefit of using the meet as a checkpoint to see where his times are during the summer, he goes to Games for the atmosphere.

"Dan [Carver] and I have gone together for four years," said Jim Losi, who will compete in the open 200 butterfly, as well as the 200 and 400 freestyle. "It's just great to be together and have that added feeling of accomplishment that you made it."

Jim Losi, who said he hopes to medal in all three of his events, also wants to check out the competition from other regions and see what it will take to get him noticed by college coaches.

According to McCarthy, the swimmers from the Western region won't have much trouble getting their name out there.

"I just got the pysche sheets for the meet and many of our swimmers are seeded in the top four of their events," McCarthy said. "This team should be good. We have a great combination of returners and new swimmers."

Other new swimmers from SHAQ hoping to make an impact are Connor Hoffman in the scholastic 100 and 200 backstroke, Sarah Morris in the open 100 backstroke, Sarah Mazuchowski in the open 1,500 freestyle, 100 and 200 breaststroke, and Leah Villari in the scholastic 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle.

Also competing from the Tonawanda Titans are Randall Snodgrass in the open 200 IM and Alec Pokornowski in the scholastic 200, 400 and 800 freestyle.

The swimming portion of the Empire State Games will run from Thursday, July 26 to Saturday, July 28. Log on to www.empirestategames. org for more information.