Four Wesco swimmers could be the best in the state in the IM

Published 7:10 am Tuesday, November 27, 2007

The Western Conference boys swim and dive season starts with non-league meets this week and Trevor LeValley is about as likely to mince words as he is to miss meals.

And, although LeValley acknowledged a bountiful Thanksgiving feast that included wolfing down a half-dozen pieces of pie following practice last Friday morning, the Marysville-Pilchuck junior already was licking his chops over a future menu item.

“It’s going to be a battle to the death,” LeValley said of next February’s Northwest District meet, where he expects to go head-to-head against three stellar Wesco rivals in what should be a gritty battle for supremacy in the 200-yard individual medley. “That will be a very intense race.”

And it will be a reunion of sorts for Snohomish sophomore Garren Riechel, LeValley, John Hu (Oak Harbor, junior) and Jimmy Rogers (Jackson, senior).

Led by Riechel’s time of 1 minute, 57.99 seconds, the foursome placed third through sixth in the aforementioned order in the 200 individual medley at last February’s Class 4A state meet.

The medley demands skill in four diverse strokes — butterfly, back, breast and freestyle — and exacts a toll even on those well-acclimated to plying the water for several hours each day.

LeValley is no stranger to a grueling grind — he placed fifth at state in the 500 freestyle in 2007 — but, the individual medley is a different animal altogether.

“The 500 freestyle is longer, but the IM uses every muscle in your body,” LeValley said. “It’s four 50-yard sprints and its tough … at the end of an IM, you’re done.”

The conditioning needed to swim the medley makes it almost the exclusive province of club swimmers such as Reichel, Hu, Rogers and LeValley.

“You really need that base endurance,” LeValley said. “And you get it from swimming all year round.”

Riechel’s prowess in the breaststroke — he is the defending state champion in the event and helped power Snohomish to a second consecutive state title last February — makes him particularly well-suited for the medley.

“The breaststroke (leg) potentially takes the longest time,” M-P coach Scott Knowles explained. “There’s more opportunity to either surge or fall back, so the race tends to sort itself out during the breast.”

Kamiak coach Chris Erickson agreed.

“You can fake it through some strokes, but with those frog leg kicks in the breaststroke, it’s just very different,” Erickson said. “If you’re not a breaststroker, it’s difficult to become one.”

“I’ll be ahead (of Riechel) after the ‘fly and back,” LeValley said with a laugh. “But then he’ll be three seconds faster than me in the breast.”

The ability to make smooth transitions from one stroke to the next is also a key to success in the IM, along with mental savvy.

“The backstroke to breaststroke turn is especially difficult,” said Oak Harbor coach Erica Miles. “You’ve also got to be a smart swimmer, one who knows to not go out too fast but to pace yourself.”

It’s a long season, but February can’t get here fast enough for LeValley. He hopes a hotly contested IM at district sets the table for a Wesco pool party at state.

“I think we’ll go one through four,” LeValley said.

He didn’t specify any particular order, but acknowledged Riechel is the chief target.

“I hope to beat him,” LeValley said.