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Grizzlies aim to end Roseburg's swim skein By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN Ashland High's boys swimming team is gearing up to try to finally stop Roseburg's run of eight consecutive Southern Oregon Conference championships. The Grizzlies and Indians are expected to battle it out for the 1999 boys SOC team title on Saturday afternoon at the Southern Oregon University pool. The meet opens with preliminaries Friday at 1:30 p.m., and concludes with finals Saturday starting at 1:30 p.m. Roseburg is the defending champion in boys and girls team competition. The Indians have won eight straight boys titles and 10 consecutive girls championships. "I think we're finally in position to beat them," says third-year Ashland coach Neil Foley, whose son Adam is expected to play a pivotal role in Ashland's upset hopes. Adam Foley will swim the 500 freestyle and 200 freestyle for Ashland in the SOC boys meet. The junior is expected to duel Roseburg freshman Eric Swinn in both races. Major team points will swing with those two events, according to Neil Foley. "I think Adam is right in it in both (races)," says the coach. "He should be seeded No. 1 in the 500, and either No. 1 or No. 2 in the 200." Besides the younger Foley, Ashland will need strong efforts from its deep cast of swimmers in order to upend Roseburg. "We have four good swimmers we are counting on in addition to a bunch of kids who rarely get their names in the papers," says Neil Foley. "Roseburg has a lot of kids like that, too. "We need our lower kids to get the fourths, fifths and sixths and push Roseburg's swimmers to the seventh and eight places to have a chance to win." The Ashland coach said his key four swimmers will be freshman Brad Scoles (200 individual medley), sophomore Jan Smigiel (500 freestyle), junior Dustin Asher (200 I.M.) and 100 breaststroke, and his son Adam. The Foleys are a family affair in swimming. Adam has been swimming competitively since he was 6, when his family moved from Sitka, Alaska, to Medford. Neil Foley, who teaches history at McLoughlin Middle School in Medford, took over as Ashland's boys and girls swimming coach three years ago when Adam entered Ashland High as a freshman. "I asked Adam for permission for me to apply for the job," says the elder Foley. "I had a lot of coaching experience, and I had looked forward to coaching my son. He was excited for me to do it." At 5, Adam Foley began his training in Alaska under Suha Tokman, who is currently the swimming coach for the Superior Aquatics club team in Medford. "Adam started under Suha in 1987, and then Suha moved to Medford," says Neil Foley. "He thought he would never see us again." But one day, the Foleys showed up at the Superior Athletic Club pool, to the surprise of Tokman. "I was shocked," says Tokman. "It was great to see them, and have a chance to work with Adam again." Adam Foley and Tokman have been working together as pupil and teacher in swimming ever since. Tokman works as Adam's individual coach in age-group competition. Neil Foley is Adam's second coach, at the high school level. "It's great to have two coaches like Suha and my dad," says Adam Foley. "I get two different viewpoints. But actually, they are very much the same in that they are loud coaches, very supportive and encouraging of what I do. That's why I've improved so much." The Ashland junior was named an age-group club team All-American in water polo last summer for the Tualatin Hills Swim Club in Beaverton. He hopes to continue on to college and play water polo and perhaps swim. "Water polo is my favorite sport," he says. "I like the team part of it. But my improvement in swimming has helped me become a better water polo player." While the Ashland and Roseburg boys team battle is expected to be the most intriguing matchup entering the SOC boys and girls meets on Friday, many quality individual boys and girls swimmers will be vying for individual titles and berths to the state meet the following weekend in Beaverton. Meet champions automatically qualify for the state meet. In addition, the top six times in Oregon for each event will earn runner-up swimmers spots in the state meet. One of the top boys swimmers in the meet also has a parent coaching him. He's junior Ryan Rackley of Crater, who is coached by his mother, Margaret. Rackley says he expects to be the favorite to win the 200 individual medley, with swimmers competing in 50-meter swims in the freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly and backstroke. "That's my best event," says Rackley. "I like all the strokes, and that's why I'm good at this event." While the Roseburg girls team is expected to dominate team competition, a couple of Ashleys from the Rogue Valley are expected to shine in this meet. According to Neil Foley, Ashland's Ashley Brace will be one of the favorites in the girls 50 freestyle and a contender in the 100 backstroke. South Medford's Ashley Johnson, 15, is a budding star in competitive swimming, according to Tokman. She will enter the 100 butterfly and the 200 individual medley. She finished second in the 100 butterfly in the SOC finals last year as a freshman. "Ashley is the best swimmer I have for her age," says Tokman. "She has unlimited potential. She has no horizons to slow her down. "She's so good, for her age, because she works so hard and she gives a darn about the sport." Johnson says she's zeroing in on winning the 100 butterfly, especially since the event comes naturally for her. Freshman Jamie Erickson of North Medford is another emerging swimmer, according to Tokman. She will enter the 100 freestyle. "She has great potential," says North Medford coach Dean Freeman. "She can win (the 100 freestyle). She's pretty young, but I think she's ready. I hope so." Top North Medford swimmers contending for titles and state berths, according to Freeman, are Dan Oliver (200 freestyle and 500 freestyle), Nick Kulmac (100 freestyle) and Mark Berwange (50 freestyle and 100 butterfly). Ashland's Jordan Scheffler will be one of the favorites in the girls 100 breaststroke. She is also expected to contend in the 200 freestyle and 100 freestyle. Joining Erickson as potential winners and big scorers from North Medford's girls team are freestylers Megan and Molly Clark and Holly Roberts. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford,