PHS ready to defend swim title

Sports

Discussion

PLEASE NOTE: There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

ALSO NOTE: Derisive name-calling of an individual or group will result in the entire comment being deleted. This includes the terms "stupid" and "idiot" and similar references.

Welcome to our new online comments feature. Before you can join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address.

Once you do, your comments will post after they have been reviewed by a moderator.

We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified, at the newspaper’s discretion, for a number of reasons. Here are some typical practices to avoid in trying to get your comment printed:

There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

Don’t state as a fact something that is unsubstantiated or that our editors wouldn't know to be true.

Don’t presume someone’s guilt in a case when it hasn't been established by a court.

Don’t assail or impugn an identifiable individual or group. If you have that kind of criticism, sign your name and submit it as a Letter to the Editor. (There is some leeway on this in connection with public officials, but it is not unconditional.)

Don’t use profanity. This includes the term “tea bagger.”

Don’t be incendiary or tasteless. Those qualities are subjective, of course, and our editors will be the arbiters.

Do not identify yourself in the main content area of the article content form. Only by enforcing this rule can the moderators prevent unscrupulous commenters from falsely identifying themselves as someone they are not.

Don't type in all caps. It is considered the Internet equivalent of shouting.

In sports articles, do not criticize officiating.

Remember, moderators are not allowed to edit any article comments. If an article comment fails any of the above criteria, the entire comment will be deleted.

We monitor comments Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Approval of comments outside these times may be delayed.

comments powered by Disqus

December 18, 2011

Anonymous Press-Republican The Press Republican Fri Dec 30, 2011, 09:04 AM EST

The Plattsburgh High School boys' swimming team lost several notable swimmers from last year's Section VII-X championship team, but the 2011-12 Hornets have a deep roster that includes four sectional-title holders. AuSable Valley finished second at last year's sectional meet, and much of that team has returned.

Plattsburgh has gotten off to a good start by winning six events at the three-team Preseason Invitational and then beating AuSable Valley in both teams' Northern Athletic Conference opener Dec. 13.

The Hornets are without Mats Dahmen, an exchange student who was their top swimmer last year and recorded four victories at the sectional meet. They also lost eight swimmers to graduation, including Adam Emery, Brent Bond and Brian Goodell — all of whom helped Plattsburgh secure sectional relay titles.

This year's group includes 21 returning athletes and five newcomers and is expected to be strong in the shorter distances. Nate Leopard and Nick Prenoveau, now juniors, were on Plattsburgh's winning 200 and 400 relay squads at sectionals last year, and Matt Evans and Mike Torner joined them on the 200 team.

Leopard and Evans each tallied three victories against the Patriots this season, and all four were part of multiple wins at the preseason event. Junior returner Hamzah Qudsi has also notched a couple of first-place finishes so far. Senior Ben Ford, junior Hank McCormick and sophomore Gavin Friedrich are expected to lead a young AuSable Valley team this season.

Ford is the defending Section VII-X champion in the 500 freestyle and 100 backstroke, and McCormick claimed the 200 free and 100 breaststroke last year. Ford took first in two races at the preseason meet this month, and he, McCormick and Friedrich each captured three victories in the first conference meet.

Those three are expected to contribute to the Patriots' relay teams as well as contend in individual events. They're among seven returning athletes. The Patriots also feature nine new faces, including six freshmen. Sophomore Ricky Baer and senior Daniel Zborowski are two new additions who have the potential to have significant impact.

Dan McGovern, Beekmantown's only swimmer, is the reigning sectional champion in the 200 individual medley and the 100 butterfly. He kicked off 2011-12 by winning both of those events at the Preseason Invitational.