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Later Is Better Than Never

Sports

Written by David Wolman

Wednesday, 18 February 2009 09:00

It was nearly two and a half hours into Thursday’s Inter League Championship. The sun had already set on a mild early February day. David Wolman

Inside the Miami County Family YMCA, the Osawatomie-Paola boys’ swim team was cruising to its second straight league title, holding a more-than-100-point lead over its nearest competitor. Not to mention many Osawatomie-Paola swimmers had recorded season-best times.

Still, it was the final regular season meet, and while the locals had already qualified in four events for the state swim meet (Alex Weatherbie in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle, Jared Auten in the 100 butterfly and as part of the 200 medley relay, along with Stetson Jackson, Daniel Dorsett and Eli Waddle), it was the last chance for others to join them. Several others had swam to state consideration times, but not qualified.

Eight events passed, and no one else had been added to that list. The sun appeared to have started to set on anyone else swimming in Topeka this Friday and Saturday.

Sometimes it’s better later than never.

The 200-yard freestyle relay of Auten, Weatherbie, Kyle Dietrich and Gus Hart proved that theory to be correct.

Onto the block first was Auten. The horn sounded to start the event, and head-first into the waters he dove.

Auten completed two laps, touched the finish line, and then came Hart’s leg. Then Dietrich’s.

Weatherbie was last. He had already flied through the waters earlier in the meet to win both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle.

As he approached the halfway point of his leg in the 200 freestyle relay, Osawatomie-Paola coach Sarah Dorsett and others who assembled inside the Miami County Family YMCA were starting to believe something special was about to happen.

Those anxious breaths heard among the fans turned into cheers once they saw the final time posted on the scoreboard.

One minute, 35.99 seconds.

Finishing eight-tenths of a second faster than the state qualifying time, the 200 freestyle team punched its ticket to state.

A celebration was in order.

“All we could do was hug each other,” said Dietrich, who will be competing in his first career event at state.

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