Cassell earns top seed in 100 breaststroke
Senior Christian Yeager of St. Anthony's broke his own mark in the 100 backstroke he swam at the CHSAA championship when he touched in 50.81. Credit: Newsday/Jessica Rotkiewicz
BUFFALO -- If the pressure of your father having been a two-time state champion was bothering Gunther Cassell, is wasn't evident on Friday.
The Huntington freshman earned the top seed in 100 breaststroke at Friday's preliminaries of the state swimming and diving championships at the Flickinger Aquatic Center. The top eight swimmers from prelims return to Saturday's final at noon.
Gunther's father, Geoff, who swam for West Islip, had a front-row seat to his son's 57.26 in the breaststroke. His time was an automatic All-American consideration. "You want to establish a powerful pace in the first 25 yards," he said. "At 75 yards you say to yourself, 'Hey, if anyone's in front of me, if anyone's close, you want to forget them,' and bring it home and go all out. When you have the lead, you have to keep the lead."
Senior Christian Yeager of St. Anthony's broke his own mark in the 100 backstroke he swam at the CHSAA championship when he touched in 50.81. It stood only until sophomore Patrick Conaton of Fordham Prep went 50.46 in the next heat. The two will square off in the final.
Yeager is also the No. 1 seed in the 200 individual medley as his 1:50.25 earned automatic All-American.
Senior Austin Kowalsky of Bellmore-Merrick has two state titles within reach. He is the second seed in the 100 free in 46.77 and swam his personal best 21.20 to earn the fifth seed in the 50 free.
Mike Lennon of Herricks earned the third seed in the 500 in 4:35.58. He came in as the top seed in 4:33.86. Sam Mo of Great Neck South is the fourth seed in the 200 IM and the 100 butterfly. Junior Kevin Konarski of Lindenhurst is in the final as the fourth seed in the 200 free.
Sachem North's James Donlevy is a fourth seed in the 50 free and a sixth seed in the 100 free. Justin Plaschka of Hauppauge and Jonathan Yin of Ward Melville are finalists in the 100 butterfly. Yin and Jake Goldstein of Huntington will also be chasing Cassell in the 100 breast final.
