North Tonawanda, NY —The Niagara Frontier League’s best swimmers and divers will make a splash at North Tonawanda High School this week for the 2009 NFL championships.
Action gets underway at 5 p.m. Thursday with swimming preliminaries. The divers take center stage at 5 p.m. Friday, and the meet wraps up Saturday with the swimming finals, beginning at 11 a.m.
It’s NT’s first time hosting the meet in at least six years, and the Lady Jacks are excited about competing in their home natatorium.
’We’ve been looking forward to this since the beginning of the season,’ said junior Andi Parish, who will swim the 50 free and 100 breaststroke at NFLs. ’It’s going to be awesome. I’m so excited about it.’
There should be plenty of excitement for spectators, too, as Lady Jacks coach Anthony Ruffolo expects several NT pool records to come down.
’It’s an awesome facility. It’s an extremely fast pool, one of the fastest in the league,’ Ruffolo said, explaining that NT’s pool has a longer deep end, which helps the swimmers go a little faster.
’You really have to be in the top six in the section to do something (at NFLs),’ Ruffolo said. ’I expect a lot of our pool records to come down.’
Kenmore West senior Marissa Dressel likely will be victimizing the record board on Saturday. She’s currently ranked fifth in the state in both the 200 free (1:57.24) and 100 free (54.10).
Friday’s diving event also figures to be competitive, with North Tonawanda’s Sam Johnson among the divers who’ll be vying for the top spot. ’There are four girls who are all potential Section VI winners,’ Ruffolo said, referring to Johnson, Lockport’s Ashley Keller and Paige Kelkenberg, and Grand Island’s Megan McInerney.
For some athletes from all eight squads, the NFL meet represents their last chance to reach the qualifying times for the Section VI (Nov. 13-14) and state (Nov. 20-21) competitions.
That includes NT’s 200 freestyle relay, which just missed the state cut last year and is hoping to hit it this week.
It’s do-or-die time for many of the competitors, said Parish, who punched her ticket to states in the 100 free.
’The girls from the other (NFL) teams are really flying right now. This is the first big meet we’ve had all season. People realize what they need to do,’ she said.
While the NFL meet will be exciting for the participants, members of the North Tonawanda booster club are hard at work making sure that fans enjoy their time in the natatorium.
The booster club is holding a chowder sale Thursday, and will have concessions set up for all three days of the meet. Among the highlights are the club’s ’tacos in a bag.’ There also will be T-shirts available for purchase.
’It’s very exciting. It should be standing room only for Thursday,’ said club president Sue Parish.
All told, more than 400 people are expected to attend NFLs, according to Diane Artieri, the booster club’s treasurer.
’If you want to watch a good swim meet, this is the best place to come,’ said Ruffolo, the NT coach. ’There’s not a bad seat in the house.’
Contact reporter David J. Hill at 693-1000, ext. 115.
IF YOU GO
’ WHO: Grand Island, Kenmore East, Kenmore West, Lew-Port, Niagara Falls, Lockport, Niagara-Wheatfield, North Tonawanda
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