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Click Here 59 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, March 6, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend February 20, 2004 Nelson, Heath carry high seeds at state swimming By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune Ashland’s Arron Nelson and Phoenix’s Justin Heath have their sights set on titles at the state swimming championships today and Saturday. The Class 4A and 3A/2A/1A meets will be at Osborn Aquatic Center in Corvallis. Nelson is seeded first in one event and Heath is the No. 2 seed in two events and handles the lead leg on the Pirates’ second-seeded 400-yard freestyle relay. They each will compete in four events — including two relays each. Nelson, a senior, is the top returning state placer in the 50 freestyle and, fittingly, has the state’s best time of 21.79 seconds. Advertisement He was third in the event in 2003, and the two who beat him aren’t back. One, Lake Oswego’s Ian Calpin, graduated, and the other, Aloha’s Stephen Mecham, a senior this year, quit the team. That leaves a couple of Mount Hood Conference swimmers, Kyle Maese of Reynolds and Austan Mason of Sandy, as Nelson’s closest competition. They’re the only other two at state with times under 22 seconds. Maese went 21.88 and Mason 21.99 at their district meet. Nelson is also seeded fifth in the 100 free with a time of 48.72. Logan Madson of Summit (47.50) and Mason (47.78) are the top two seeds. No other local swimmers are seeded higher than 15th. There are 18 participants in each event. "Our conference is one of the weakest in Oregon," Ashland assistant coach Lara Bishop told the Ashland Daily Tidings, noting the Grizzlies haven’t raced against many teams they’ll face this weekend. "They’re going to have to step up to get in the top 12." The top 12 places score team points. The Ashland boys 200 medley relay of Caleb Salmond, Travis Bishop, Geoff Berteau and Nathan Jessop is seeded 15th. The Grizzlies’ 200 free relay of Jessop, Andrew DelCarlo, Bishop and Nelson is 16th, and their 400 free relay of Jessop, Berteau, Bishop and Nelson is 18th. Salmond is 17th in the 100 backstroke, and North Medford’s Tolga Tokman is 18th in both the 100 butterfly and the 500 free. Crater’s Nicholas Janssen is 18th in the 200 free. On the 4A girls side, South Medford’s Nancy Hawley is 17th in the 50 free and 18th in the 500 free. Ashland’s Michelle Smith is 18th in the 100 free, and teammate Ashley Roda is 18th in the 200 free. In the 3A/2A/1A meet, top-flight competition could spur Heath to even faster times in the 200 and 500 frees, says his father, Jim, the Phoenix coach. "He is just now hitting his lowest times," says Jim Heath. "He hasn’t really been pushed in this district." With the exception, that is, of last weekend’s district meet, when Heath was second in the 200 free to Cottage Grove’s Eric Elligott but still managed a school-record time of 1:50.15. Elligott, the top seed at state, clocked 1:49.37. Heath also set a school mark in the 100 free on the first leg of the 400 free relay, going 50.28. And his 500 free time of 5:10.21 is a personal best. Other individual seeds — they go 12 deep in the lower classifications — for the Phoenix boys are Stephen Duncan, 11th in both the 50 and 200 frees; Jeff Stone, fifth, 100 back, and 10th, 50 free; and Dino Rossi, 11th, 100 free. Stone placed fourth in the 100 back a year ago. "He’s got his eyes on the school record, and that’s within his grasp," says coach Heath. Stone went 1:00.74 at district. The record is 58.5. Phoenix has two boys relays entered. Joining Heath on the No. 2-seeded 400 free relay are Rossi, Duncan and Stone. The 200 free relay of Rossi, Jason Reno, Duncan and Heath is No. 5. For the Pirate girls, Kelsey Nelson is sixth in the 500 free and ninth in the 200 free, Joy Nelson is 11th in the 100 butterfly and Maggie Morefield is 12th in the 100 backstroke. Morefield, Brenna Moran, Kelsey Nelson and Joy Nelson are seeded ninth in the 200 medley relay, and in the 200 free relay, Kelsey Nelson, Joy Nelson, Jessica Porter and Moran are No. 10. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. 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