Tigersharks wrap up weekend meet

It was just a nice, little workout for the Carson Tigersharks swim team as the Intermountain Classic came to a close on Monday.

Many of the Tigersharks woke up for a 5:30 a.m. practice on Monday morning before the final day of the meet began at the Carson Aquatic Facility. And it just wasn't a run-of-the-mill workout.

Tigershark swimmers were asked to do three 800-meter swims, with the second having to be faster than the first and the third having to be faster than the second. They then had to try to swim a faster 800 in the meet, with a negative split, meaning the second 400 had to be as fast or faster than the first 400.

The Tigersharks came through with flying colors as Lauren Costella, Justin Barber, Adrian Zeh and Ryan and Kiel Costella were all able to accomplish the feat. It was an especially impressive performance for Lauren Costella and Barber, who swam in several events on Monday.

"We had some pretty good swims," Tigershark coach Jim Puleo said.

In the 800 free in the 15-18-year-old division, Costella won in nine minutes, 14.8 seconds. She swam her first 400 in 4:37.8 and her second 400 in 4:37.0.

"It's really kind of a common race strategy," Puleo said. "But you have to be in shape to do it. You have to go out with control and then pick it up."

Tara Theilemann placed second in 9:49.04. Costella also won the 100 butterfly in 1:07.53, while Shiloh Brice, who began her age group swimming with the Douglas Dolfins in Minden and now swims for the Terrapins swim club in the Bay area, placed second in 1:08.84. Theilemann improved on her seeded time of 1:12 to place third in 1:09.86.

Theilemann also won the 200 free in 2:10.34 while Costella placed second in 2:13.58.

The 200 individual medley had strong field as Kate and Julie Hardt of Carson City and swimming for Reno Aquatics, placed first and second.

Kate, a Carson High senior who will swim for Minnesota, won in 2:28.85. Julie, a CHS graduate and a sophomore who swims for Georgia, placed second in 2:30.87. Julie was a member of the United States' 2001 world champion 800 free relay team.

Costella placed third in the 15-18 division in 2:34.99. Douglas High graduate Charlene Rigdon, who swims for the University of Nevada, placed second in the 19-and-over division behind Hardt in 2:42.51.

Barber had an impressive meet, lowering his seeded time of 1:03.71 to 1:03.26 to win the 100 fly. Ryan Theilemann placed second in 1:04.24. Barber also won the 200 I.M. in 2:19.79 while Theilemann placed second in 2:25.47.

Barber was able to swim 4:34 splits in placing in placing fifth in the 800 free in the 15-18 division. Scott Kaufmann, of Reno Aquatics and the University of Florida, had an excellent race, winning in 8:44.96. Ryan Costella, who swims for Villanova, placed second to Kaufmann in the 19-and-over division.

In addition, Barber placed second in the 15-18 division in the 200 free (2:04.77). Costella won the 19-and-over division (2:12.21).

The 100 fly had a strong field as well, with the 40-year-old Dennis Baker, a three-time U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier in the 1980s, winning in 1:00.44. Kaufmann placed second in 1:02.19.

Barber had an excellent swim, lowing his seeded time of 1:03.71 to win the 15-18 division in 1:03.26. Theilemann placed second in 1:04.24.