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The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, May 14, 2002-3B Marlins pool efforts to capture team t at Division III finals There was nowhere for division three provincial championship honours to hide this time around. The Marlins Swim Club had come up short in the title hunt during previous attempts, but pooled their collective efforts to reign supreme during their latest trip there late last month in Etobicoke. Milton out-gunned more than three dozen other clubs in the pool to come out on top. Day one of the competition was high- lighted by 10-year-old David Dimitrov, swimming timed fmals, capturing gold in the 50-metre freestyle and silver in the 100m butterfly for the team's first points. Also eaming points for the 10-and-under boys were Evan Ries, 9, with a fifth-place showing in the 100m butterfly, Alex David, 10, with a seventh in the same event and Jason Shaw, 10, whose efforts in the 50m freestyle were good enough for fifth. In the older age loops, eight Marlins engineered top-eight fmishes in the prelim- inaries to qualify for a berth to the fmals the following evening. Day two's aftemoon session brought more success from the 10-and-under boys as Shaw took fourth in the 100m breast- stroke, Dimitrov struck silver in the 200m freestyle and David fmished eighth in the same event. Shaw and David took second and sixth respectively in the 50m back- stroke, Dimitrov and Reis grabbing second and eighth in the 50m butterfly and the four boys combined for the runner-up spot in the 200m freestyle relay. The evening finals session was once again loaded with local representation, as a dozen Marlins qualified for another 18 positions. Jessica Switzer, 12, led the way with a pair of golds and a sixth-place effort while 14-year-old Rachel Robinson secured a gold and silver. Kate Chapman took a first and sixth, Kristen McIlroy and Jen Porenta were both golden as well, Ricky Davids amassed three silvers, Laura Prusha grabbed a silver and fifth, James Bramely and Christopher Reid each took fifth and Valerie Burke took home a sixth. The noise level reached its peak during the 200m freestyle relays as the 11 and 12- year-old girls fmished fourth, the same age-class boys struck silver, the 13 and 14- year-old girls just missed the silver by a fraction of a second while the 15-and-over girls had an astounding relay - squeaking in for the gold with a fierce finish. The excitement grew on day three as the 10-and-under boys once again delivered topnotch efforts, including a golden per- formance by Dimitrov in the 100m freestyle. Finishing fourth in the same event was Shaw, who also captured silver in the 100m backstroke. Alex Davis took bronze in the 50m breaststroke and seventh in the 200m indi- vidual medley, just ahead of eighth-place teammate Evan Reis. The high-endurance test of the aftemoon - the dreaded 800m freestyle - didn't hold Milton back, as Robinson triumphed in ber age division while Mcllroy and Erynn Fraser placed second and fifth in the 15- and-over class. Burke and Prusha grabbed seventh and eighth-place honours among the 11 and 12-year-old girls. Team victory was all but guaranteed heading into day three's finale - with Milton leading by 67 points - although the local swimmers took nothing for granted and continued to shine. Switzer, 12, prevailed in the 200m breaststroke with an amazing six-second victory. Davids was second best in two races, while Prusha took the runner-up position in the grueling 400m individual medley. Jacqueline Clarke claimed ber first medal in the 13 and 14-year-old girls loop, taking bronze in the 200m breaststroke, ftnishing right behind Robinson - who also captured gold in the 400m freestyle. Fraser snatched up silver in the 200m individual medley and bronze in the 100m freestyle. Chapman, Porenta and Mcllroy each took gold and eight other top-eight fnishes cemented the Marlins' successful title bid. The girls' 200m medley relay events were the last hopes for points and Milton stopped them cold in the 15-and-over age group, claiming top honours with a four- second win. The 13 and 14-year-old girls hung tough for bronze. Scoring woes By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion The cracks are showing through. No longer able to call on premier snipers Kyle Grant and Onel Martino - both lost to graduation - Bishop Reding's 2002 senior boys soccer team has had major difficulty dent- ing the twine. Last Monday marked another blatant reminder of that fact, as the defending league champions held a distinct edge in play over the top-seated Q.E. Park Eagles but wound up los- ing 3-1. "We were all over them but just couldn't bury it," said co- coach Femando Costa. "With Kyle and Onel gone this year, that (lack of ftnish) was a big concem." Chris Casa was the lone marksmen, which may have cost the local lads an opening-round bye in the playoffs. Heading into yesterday aftemoon's regular season ftnale against T.A. Blakelock, the Royals sat fourth in Halton's Volpe Division and needed not only a victory themselves but losses by both Iroquois Ridge and Oakville Trafalgar to fmish top two. A lack of scoring aside, BR's seniors have given fairly spir- ited efforts this season. Case in point was Wednesday's 2-1 triumph over Loyola, in which they overcame a shortened roster to improve to 3-2. Matt Stockton and Connor Sweeney did the scoring, while delivering an exceptional performance between the pipes was veteran netminder Allen Lourenco. Should the seniors fmish third of fourth, they'll host round one of the playoffs tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. Meanwhile, BR's junior boys squad sat on the verge of a winless season heading into yesterday's battle with Blakelock. A lack of offensive - with just four goals in five straight losses - has been an even bigger shortcoming for the juniors, who're undergoing a major rebuilding period after making it to the regional finals last spring. The younger Royals headed into yesterday's battle hoping to snap their losing skid and set up a more favourable first- round encounter with Milton District. A loss would put them up against third-place Q.E. Park. Either way, BR's juniors will assume the role of visitors when post-season play begins tomorrow aftemoon. UWwM'"%S COREOPSIS "LIMEROCK RUBY" A perennial with rich red flowers and a long bloom period. A new introduction from Blooms of Bressingham $5.99ea. Sor $15.00 Perennial Favour STELLA D'ORO DAY LILY "GOLDEN YELLOW" Blooms from early Summer to Frost. Extremely hardy. Only 18" high. $7.99 ea. 3 for*21 Servng Milton For ARDSON HWY. 25 S. AT DERRY RD., MILTON ACTON GEORGEOW 1/2 mile east of Hwy 25 on Campbellville Road 905-878-0223 HOURS: Mon-Sat: 9-6, Sun: 10-5 Please fax your sports reports to Steve LeBlanc at (905) 878-4943, or drop them off at 191 Main St. E. zPrto