THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 26, 1996 TAG: 9601250192
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, BEACON SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
EVERY DAY for the past few weeks, four members of the Old Dominion Aquatic Club checked the mailbox when they got home from school - hoping to find the latest edition of Swimming World Magazine that contained last year's final national age-group rankings.
The edition finally arrived and the four got what they were looking for.
Mark Giusto, John McLaren and Matt Morrisette of Virginia Beach, along with Mike Robbins of Chesapeake, comprised the top boys 13-14, 200-yard freestyle relay team in the country last year.
The young men - all now 15 - won the event at the Short Course Senior Championships, held in Radford last Feb. 10-12, in a time of 1:31.14, just missing the national age-group record of 1:30.39.
The four also finished the season ranked second in the 400 free relay in 3:31.09 and fifth in the 800 in 7:29.46.
The placements arguably make them the best freestyle relay team in their age group in the country last year.
``Sure they are, definitely so,'' said ODAC coach Steve Bialorucki.
While Giusto, McLaren and Morrisette were the foundation of the team, Robbins was an 11th-hour choice for the foursome.
When given the opportunity, the Western Branch sophomore came through with his best efforts of the season.
``Out of the people we had to choose from, he was our best option,'' Bialorucki said. ``He far exceeded our expectations. He came through with his best times of the season.''
Nobody was more thrilled or surprised than Robbins.
``We just found out about this and I'm pretty excited,'' he said. ``It was more of a sur
prise for me than for the other guys. I had a few good times at one of the meets, they were looking for somebody and coach asked me if I wanted to go.
``We just went for it that week and got it.''
While Robbins was having a career day, Giusto, McLaren and Morrisette were continuing to prove themselves to be three of the top age-group sprinters in the country - remarkable in that ODAC does little training in the sprints.
``The kids either have sprint speed or they don't,'' Bialorucki said. ``We don't spend any time with that stuff.''
But considerable training time was spent on relay techniques and their individual strokes since being No. 1 in the nation was a goal.
``This is great,'' said Giusto, a Kempsville sophomore whose favorite events are freestyle races. ``We've had national top 16 times before, but this is a great accomplishment.''
McLaren, another Kempsville sophomore, knew the team had an outstanding shot at the mark.
``We've been close before and I knew we would be again,'' said McLaren, who pitched for the AAU baseball 15-under state championship team that finished seventh in the country. ``The only difference between our time and the national record was a few of the little things - stuff like our starts between swimmers.''
Morrisette, a Cox freshman, said the team will now elevate its goals.
``We'd like to make junior national (team) cuts for the next age group,'' he said. ``This was pretty exciting, but now we know we can achieve our goals and we want to set them higher.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Mark Giusto, left, John McLaren and Matt Morrisette were the three
Beach ODAC members of the aged 13-14, 200-yard freestyle relay team
that was best in the country last year.
by CNB