Sports
Swimming
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Keith Peters
them and cares about them. She has never let her talent change her; she accepts her talent and works to improve. But she is smart enough to realize that there is a life outside of the pool.� Tosky currently holds Paly records in the 100 free, 200 free, 200 IM, 100 fly, 500 free and is part of three school record-setting relays. “Many people will look at the records and see that Jasmine is a great swimmer, and she is,� said Dye. “But, her biggest impact on the Palo Alto High School team has been Jasmine Tosky the person. She has set an example of hard work, competitiveness, compassion and friendship that, while it will leave a lasting impact on the record book at Paly, it will leave an even bigger lasting impression on the hearts of her teammates and coaches!� Sacred Heart Prep coach Kevin Morris feels pretty much the same about Kremer, who got his feet wet at the 2009 CCS finals by taking fifth in the 200 IM and fourth in the 500 free. Since then, he’s been pretty much unbeatable. This weekend, Kremer will go after his fifth and sixth titles. “Tom has meant so much to our program,� said Morris. “Just having Tom on our team made our practice so much more intense this year. Even when he wasn’t there, it was always lurking out there that the fastest three guys would end up on
a relay with him, and our training intensity this year was the best it has ever been.� Kremer holds school records in the 200 free, 100 fly, 100 back and on the 200 and 400 free relays. The 400 mark of 3:07.36 came at last year’s CCS meet, earning the Gators a victory and a fourth place team finish. The Gators were third at CCS in 2010 and eighth in Kremer’s freshman year. “I also have had the luxury to teach Tom this year in my AP Computer Science class (he took the AP exam Tuesday), and, yes, he is an amazing swimmer, but he is also an absolutely amazing student,� said Morris. “He is one of the most brilliant students in the senior class; he took AP Calculus BC last year as a junior. I couldn’t be prouder to have Tom be the ‘face’ of our program. I want people to look at the SHP swim team and see all the values Tom embodies: a great athlete, a fantastic student, a really nice guy, and a great teammate.� Acker is a relative newcomer to swimming and hasn’t piled up the accolades that Tosky and Kremer have earned. Yet, she’s just as competitive and has re-written the Gunn record book while helping elevate the program among the section’s elite. “Rachael was obviously a gamechanger for our program,� said Gunn coach Mark Hernandez. “She’s a once-in-a-very-long-time type of talent, but she also works extremely hard. Given her background in ballet, it’s no surprise that she’s a
Despite being friends and club teammates, Gunn’s Rachael Acker (left) and Paly’s Jasmine Tosky will be rivals at the CCS finals. creature of precision; and as she’s developed, she’s also become a creature of controlled aggression.� Acker, who will join Tosky at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June, currently holds five individual school records and is a member of three record-setting relays. She handed Tosky her first-ever individual loss in high school this season as Gunn beat Paly in a dual meet. “What’s especially exciting about Rachael is how relatively new she is to the sport,� said Hernandez. “She’s nowhere near her ceiling, and it’s not at all clear where that ceiling even is. That makes me optimistic for how well she’ll do at CCS, because
she’s very capable of doing something she’s never done before.� Last week, the Palo Alto girls won their 10th straight SCVAL De Anza Division league-meet title, 508499, over the Titans but Paly held a 54-point diving advantage before the meet began. Gunn scored more points in swimming and is among the favorites for Saturday’s section title. “CCS ought to be very exciting,� said Dye. “I think anyone of four schools can win the title for the girls. I would have to give the edge to Gunn, but Mitty, St. Francis and us have a chance. It really will be an exciting meet.�
With last year’s 50 and 100 free winner (Maddy Schaefer) now swimming for Stanford, Acker is the heir apparent in those races after finishing second in both last year. The Titans also have to be favored in the 400 free relay and either the 200 medley or 200 free relay, whichever one Hernandez wants to go after. “It’s certainly nice to be considered one of the favorites, but I’ve been to enough of these things to know not to fall in love with seed times,� Hernandez said. “We just need to perform at our best, and get ourselves into as many championship spots as possible, and then go out and swim faster on Saturday. Of the top contenders, I think we lost the fewest points to graduation. Maddy Shaeffer’s absence helps us a lot, and we have some new, young scorers in this meet. So, though we do have a few holes, we’ll put a lot of points on the board. At that point, it will come down to us winning close races.� No matter what happens, Tosky, Kremer and Acker are all set for their final bows. Their curtain calls could come later this summer on the international stage. N NOTES: The Palo Alto boys, who finished to Bellarmine at last year’s CCS meet, probably will be happy with a similar finish as the Bells are seeking their 28th straight title. The Vikings won the SCVAL De Anza Division title last week. On Saturday, the Menlo-Atherton boys won the PAL Championships. N
Lat ino Art N ow MACLA’s 14th Annual Art Auction Saturday, May 19, 2012
Special appearance by vocalist Kat Parra Collect the very best of Latino art from the Bay Area and beyond! Auction tickets- $30 in advance / $40 at the door Please call 408) 998-2783 x28 for tickets 510 S. First Street San JosĂŠ, CA 95113
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