Anchorage Daily News

Pavle Pavlovic, a foreign exchange student from Serbia, is used to treading water in a pool trying to throw a ball into a net, not racing against time to help teammates win meets.

Pavlovic has played water polo since he was 8, so when he came to Wasilla High, swim coach Matt Hanley thought his pool expertise could give the Warriors some more muscle in a quest to win their first team title at the swimming and diving state championships today at Bartlett High.

"He doesn't have the prettiest stroke, but he's got a lot of power," Hanley said.

Pavlovic, a 6-foot-4, 200-pounder, was all for the switch.

"They didn't have water polo at Wasilla," he said, "so I wanted to stay in shape."

He qualified for the state meet on athleticism, not form.

Most swimmers switch direction using a flip turn. But Pavlovic turns using an unconventional style. He pushes off the wall with his hands instead of his feet.

"We gave him a couple weeks to learn," Hanley said. "But (flipping) made him a second slower. In the 50 (freestyle), that's a lifetime."

Hanley was confident Pavlovic would advance into today's 50-yard freestyle finals, and perhaps the 100 free. He seemed to be on his way to the 50 free final when he finished third in his heat in Friday's preliminaries, but a false start disqualified him.

Then he missed the 100 free finals by less than a second.

"There's no room for error here," Hanley said.

Pavlovic, 18, still has a shot to help the Warriors. He qualified to swim the 200 freestyle relay at last week's region meet.

Even so, Wasilla still need some help. It has boys in six championship heats and Dave Kennedy, who's among the favorite to win boys diving.

Juneau-Douglas has swimmers in nine final heats and one diver, while Dimond has six and no divers.

"It's going to be real close," Wasilla's Jeff Frey said. "With Pavle out, someone's going to have to step it up."

Wasilla is coming off its first region championship, and if it goes on to win the state title, it would become the first Valley school -- boys or girls -- to accomplish such a feat.

"This is the first time I've ever heard someone mention Wasilla swimming and a state title," Mike Janecek, the house announcer and former Palmer athletic director.

SMOOTH SWIMMING

Chugiak's Jordyn Caldwell has waited three months for the final day of the state meet.

This morning she can finally shave her legs.

"I haven't shaved since the beginning of the season," the sophomore said. "It helps my confidence."

Swimming with body hair makes a swimmer believe she can swim faster without it, said Dave Maker, Caldwell's club coach. Shaving the morning of a state meet adds fuel to a swimmer's confidence.

"It's an uplifting feeling," Maker said.

So today Caldwell will blow the dust off her razor, toss her team-issued swim suit in the hamper and don her new $135 swim suit in the 200 and 500 freestyle, hoping the new look results in faster times.

Caldwell clocked the second-fastest time in each preliminary event Friday, and it's exactly where she wanted to be for today's finals.

"She likes to play the underdog role," Maker said.

STATE RECORDS, ANYONE?

Friday's swim times indicate only one swimmer today has a chance to break a state record -- a big difference from last season's state championships when four records were broken.

No racers who won preliminary heats Friday cracked the top five all-time best times.

But Cody Brunette of Juneau-Douglas has a shot at the boys 100 butterfly record -- 50.97 seconds -- set in 2000 by Soldotna's Lucas Peterson.

Brunette's best 100 fly time this season is 50.56. It doesn't count as a state record because records can only be set at the state meet.

His goal, however, isn't a state record. It's beating his rival, Service's Wyatt Adams.

Adams beat Brunette by .12 seconds in the 100 fly of last season's state meet.

"All I could think about was next year when I lost to him," Brunette said. "I've been apprehensive ever since."

AIMING FOR THE TOP

West's Rachel RoseFigura, who battled back from a brain tumor to become one of the state's top girls divers, set an all-time best mark Friday.

The 5-foot-2 senior scored 138.15 points in preliminary action to finish third heading into today's final rounds. She trails leader Renee Jordan of East by 37.25 points.

RoseFigura placed 10th in last year's state diving prelims and wound up seventh overall.

Find Kevin Klott at adn.com/contact/kklott or call 257-4335.

ASAA/First National Bank Swimming and Diving State Championships Friday's Preliminary Results at Bartlett Pool (Top 8 qualify for today's finals) Girls

200-yard freestyle -- 1, Goering, Anne, West Valley, 1:58.21. 2, Caldwell, Jordyn, Chugiak, 1:58.27. 3, Johnson, Emilee, Ketchikan, 1:58.39. 4, Iverson, Hannah, Service, 2:00.31. 5, Knight, Chelsea, South, 2:00.92. 6, Hyams, Ariel, West, 2:01.20. 7, Perkins, Shelby, North Pole, 2:03.07. 8, Philpot, Karen, Kodiak, 2:03.37.

200 individual medley -- 1, Wicks, Sam, East, 2:11.42. 2, Keill, Alyssa, Lathrop, 2:12.90. 3, Wray, Nikki, Dimond, 2:12.99. 4, Bennett, Elizabeth, Monroe, 2:14.15. 5, Hawkins, Michelle, Dimond, 2:15.60. 6, Bowen, Olivia, Soldotna, 2:16.17. 7, Jones, Lori, East, 2:16.42. 8, Miller, Chloe, Service, 2:16.74.

50 freestyle -- 1, McDuffie, Erin, Service, 25.03. 2, Hasbrouck, Tessa, Petersburg, 25.18. 3, Williams, Ava, Chugiak, 25.36. 4, Johnston, Elyse, Kodiak, 25.38. 5, Kirk, Christine, Service, 25.46. 6, Walker, Taylor, East, 25.49. 7, Norris, Hannah, Valdez, 25.52. 8, Day, Kendra, Lathrop, 25.60.

100 butterfly -- 1, Adams, Margot, Service, 58.96. 2, Bennett, Elizabeth, Monroe, 59.54. 3, Bowen, Olivia, Soldotna, 59.96. 4, Stacy, Janelle, Ketchikan, 1:00.44. 5, Young, Kyla, Kodiak, 1:01.34. 6, Brakora, Kelly, East, 1:01.55. 7, Clark, Auri, Juneau, 1:01.59. 8, Streuli, Erin, Petersburg, 1:02.05.

100 freestyle -- 1, Wicks, Sam, East, 53.82. 2, Goering, Anne, West Valley, 53.97. 3, McDuffie, Erin, Service, 54.51. 4, Griffing, Laura, Kodiak, 54.61. 5, Hasbrouck, Tessa, Petersburg, 54.84. 6, Norris, Hannah, Valdez, 55.52. 7, Williams, Ava, Chugiak, 55.56. 8, Johnston, Elyse, Kodiak, 56.03.

500 freestyle -- 1, Keill, Alyssa, Lathrop, 5:17.13. 2, Caldwell, Jordyn, Chugiak, 5:21.28. 3, Iverson, Hannah, Service, 5:27.04. 4, Beck-Goodell, Celeste, Kodiak, 5:28.58. 5, Iverson, Jordan, Service, 5:28.84. 6, Perkins, Shelby, North Pole, 5:29.41. 7, Schmidt, Marie, Homer, 5:31.95. 8, Gallaway, Courtney, Ketchikan, 5:32.38.

100 backstroke -- 1, Adams, Margot, Service, 59.87. 2, Hawkins, Michelle, Dimond, 1:00.34. 3, Stacy, Janelle, Ketchikan, 1:01.98. 4, McDuffie, Laura, Service, 1:02.34. 5, Yoo, Paulina, South, 1:02.58. 6, Philpot, Karen, Kodiak, 1:02.61. 7, Brakora, Kelly, East, 1:02.66. 8, Payne, Katelyn, Colony, 1:03.47.

100 breast stroke -- 1, Griffing, Laura, Kodiak, 1:07.32. 2, Wray, Nikki, Dimond, 1:10.25. 3, Meierotto, Sarah, North Pole, 1:10.69. 4, Kirk, Christine, Service, 1:10.83. 5, Freestone, Randi, Soldotna, 1:11.65. 6, Johnson, Emilee, Ketchikan, 1:11.91. 7, Rawson, Leslie, East, 1:12.23. 8, Miller, Chloe, Service, 1:12.63.

1-meter diving -- 1, Jordan, Renee, East, 168.10. 2, Veit, Lindsey, South, 162.55. 3, RoseFigura, Rachel, West, 138.15. 4, Klancher, Rachel, Service, 138.05. 5, Kennedy, Rachel, Wasilla, 130.85. 6, Sharp, Sam, Juneau, 126.20. 7, Sanders, Kathryn, Eagle River, 125.85. 8, Miller, Alyssa, West Valley, 119.90. 9, Sharp, Emily, Juneau, 117.80. 10, Schachle, Mariah, Wasilla, 116.50. 11, Wallace, Joanna, Monroe, 112.30. 12, Morton, Kelsey, West Valley, 109.15.

Boys

200-yard freestyle -- 1, Hussong, Austin, Dimond, 1:45.40. 2, Peck, Bryce, North Pole, 1:45.79. 3, Brunette, Cody, Juneau, 1:46.00. 4, Adams, Wyatt, Service, 1:46.02. 5, Armstrong, Tanner, Bartlett, 1:46.76. 6, Long, Christian, Wasilla, 1:46.84. 7, Hanneman, Logan, Lathrop, 1:48.06. 8, Wholecheese, Charlie, Mt. Edgecumbe, 1:51.12.

200 individual medley -- 1, Summers, Matt, Dimond, 2:00.78. 2, Severns, Keegan, Lathrop, 2:01.63. 3, Schulte, Jay, South, 2:02.27. 4, Cayce, Seth, Juneau, 2:02.59. 5, Kowalewski, Adam, Dimond, 2:03.45. 6, Heaven, Winter, Soldotna, 2:03.68. 7, Wilson, Dan, East, 2:05.79. 8, Marsh, Preston, Petersburg, 2:07.33.

50 freestyle -- 1, Rutecki, Nick, Juneau, 21.22. 2, Macinko, Nando, Kodiak, 22.31. 3, Frey, Jeff, Wasilla, 22.33. 3, Friccero, Eric, Kodiak, 22.33. 3, O'Leary, Ryan, Seward, 22.33. 6, Stefanski, Rhowe, Colony, 22.46. 7, Vandermeer, Drew, West Valley, 22.48. 8, Wooten, Shawn, East, 23.03.

100 butterfly -- 1, Brunette, Cody, Juneau, 52.63. 2, Heaven, Winter, Soldotna, 53.59. 3, Martinez, Phillip, North Pole, 53.96. 4, Adams, Wyatt, Service, 54.02. 5, Schauff, Clayton, Kodiak, 54.24. 6, Evershed, Gregory, Hutchison, 54.56. 7, Wholecheese, Charlie, Mt. Edgecumbe, 54.82. 8, Wilson, Dan, East, 55.05.

100 freestyle -- 1, Rutecki, Nick, Juneau, 48.30. 2, Frey, Jeff, Wasilla, 48.49. 3, Friccero, Eric, Kodiak, 48.71. 4, Stefanski, Rhowe, Colony, 49.15. 5, Anderson, Josh, Juneau, 49.58. 6, Brunger, Nicholas, Colony, 50.08. 7, Rockwell, Ben, South, 50.36. 8, Hanneman, Logan, Lathrop, 50.40.

500 freestyle -- 1, Peck, Bryce, North Pole, 4:48.06. 2, Armstrong, Tanner, Bartlett, 4:49.01. 3, Summers, Matt, Dimond, 4:49.46. 4, Long, Christian, Wasilla, 4:49.94. 5, Wadley, Grant, Ketchikan, 5:04.42. 6, Danielson, Jeff, Lathrop, 5:04.79. 7, Hopkins, Kyle, North Pole, 5:06.40. 8, Linscheid, Hayden, Kodiak, 5:07.00.

100 backstroke -- 1, Hussong, Austin, Dimond, 54.90. 2, Vandermeer, Drew, West Valley, 56.29. 3, Frey, Charles, Wasilla, 56.48. 4, Macinko, Nando, Kodiak, 56.64. 5, Wannamaker, Dylan, Kenai, 57.22. 6, Schick, Cody, Juneau, 57.55. 7, Barto, Alex, Juneau, 58.76. 8, Miller, Adam, Service, 59.06.

100 breast stroke -- 1, Severns, Keegan, Lathrop, 59.72. 2, Cayce, Seth, Juneau, 1:00.29. 3, Kowalewski, Adam, Dimond, 1:02.18. 4, Martinez, Phillip, North Pole, 1:02.23. 5, Merriam, Max, Wasilla, 1:03.22. 6, Marsh, Preston, Petersburg, 1:03.59. 7, Bullington, Nick, West, 1:05.14. 8, McNulty, Michael, Homer, 1:05.66.

1-meter diving -- 1, Wandersee, Scott, Kodiak, 187.60. 2, White, Sam, North Pole, 174.45. 3, Kennedy, David, Wasilla, 163.35. 4, Koop, Cory, North Pole, 150.00. 5, Deedy, Alexander, Colony, 149.90. 6, Haas, Dalton, Service, 145.85. 7, Teal, Nathan, Juneau, 139.60. 8, Fullmer, Colton, Chugiak, 132.35. 9, Tyler, Evan, West, 130.45. 10, Tate, Cody, Soldotna, 129.00. 11, Olson, Timothy, Lathrop, 125.80. 12, Hunter, Jonathon Tyler, Bartlett, 121.30.

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