Experience to help Flames' swimmers improve record
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Williamsville East's Neil Batta had a season-best preliminary time in the 200 free and finished eighth at finals at last year's Section VI Championships. He also qualified in the 100 free. File photo

Three years ago, Williamsville East had only eight swimmers and finished 0-12. This season, the Flames, with 23 swimmers, hopes to improve on its 8-4 record from last year.

Leading the charge are seniors Neil Batta, Kane Hsieh, Jeff O'Gorman, Rohin Sethi and Nadav Weinstock. Batta, Hsieh and Jeff O'Gorman are tri-captains.

Batta, on the team since eighth grade, took eighth and 11th in the 200- and 100-yard freestyle, respectively, at last year's Section VI Championships.

Hsieh, on the team since he was a freshman, qualified for last year's New York State Championships in the 100 breaststroke. He can also swim the 200 individual medley.

O'Gorman, a third-year swimmer, can swim the 100 and 200 free and the 100 butterfly. Sethi, on the team for at least four years, is strong in the 200 and 500 free. Weinstock's specialties are the 50 and 100 free. Weinstock, a 50 and 100 freestyler, enters his third year on the team.

Other returning swimmers include juniors Matt Geiger and Joe O'Gorman and sophomores Michael Anderson and Thomas Mitchell.

Geiger is a returning state qualifier in the 100 fly and 100 back. As a sophomore, he set the school record in the 100 back.

Joe O'Gorman dives and qualified for sectionals last year. Anderson took fourth in the 500 free at sectionals. He can also swim the 200 free and 200 IM. Mitchell is a returning sectional qualifier in the 200 and 500 free.

Doerfler is hoping for a lot out of freshman Kevin Fan in the 100 fly and 100 back.

East's relays are set. The 200 medley relay, in no particular order, is Geiger (back), Hsieh (breast), Batta (fly) and Anderson (free). The 400 free is Anderson, Batta, Geiger and Mitchell.

East opened its season with a 123-57 loss last Friday at Orchard Park.

Despite the lopsided loss, the Flames swam good times. The Flames' medley relay went 1:44.39, its best time in the event in 10 years. The 400 free relay also took second in 3:32.08.

Anderson placed second in the 200 free in a personal-best 1:52.95, as did Geiger in the 200 IM in a personal-best with East of 2:06.24.

Geiger also qualified for this winter's state meet by winning the 100 back in a state qualifying time of 54.18.

Batta won the 100 free in 51.51.

Hsieh took second in the 100 breast in 1:04.14. The state cut time is 1:03.4.

Doerfler said for East to have success this season, his core swimmers (Batta, Hsieh, Geiger, Anderson) have to swim well and the rest of the team has to step up and contribute.
East 2007-08 Schedule
12-14 Lake Shore.............. 6 p.m.
12-18 at Jamestown ......... 5 p.m.
1-4 Clarence ...................... 6 p.m.
1-8 at Lancaster ........... 4:30 p.m.
1-11 at Sweet Home.... 4:30 p.m.
1-15 North.......................... 6 p.m.
1-18 at Frontier................. 5 p.m.
1-25 at W.S. East.......... 4:30 p.m.
1-29 W.S. West................... 6 p.m.
1-31 Hamburg.................... 6 p.m.
2-1 at Iroquois (Iroquois Middle
School) ............................... 5 p.m.
2-5 ECICs - diving (Sweet Home
High School) ..................... 4 p.m.
2-6 ECICs - swimming (Sweet
Home High School) ......... 2 p.m.
2-13 Section VI Championships
(ECC-City) ......................... 5 p.m.
2-14 Section VI Championships
(ECC-City) ......................... 5 p.m.
* All home meets are at Transit
Middle School.
e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com