SWIM LIONS SEEK 3RD STRAIGHT WIN

It's a recipe for success on any level of sports, but like all things competitive, easier said than done.

• A sprinkle of returning all-stars and sectional and/or state qualifiers.

• A splash of returning senior leadership with a proven record of success.

• A teaspoon of experienced coaches throughout the program who not only impart knowledge, but maintain solid numbers.

Off to a 2-0 start this winter season in the Niagara Frontier League, the Lockport boys varsity swim Lions have lived by that formula since the historic days of the late Bob Pauley — but never any more than this 2018-19 season, under veteran head coach John Sullivan.

“We have a very unique team this year. We have a lot of guys up from the junior varsity — guys who did some real nice work last year,” Sullivan said at practice this week at the LHS pool. The swim Lions return to NFL action at 5 p.m. Friday against visiting Niagara-Wheatfield.

“We lost quite a few kids to graduation (almost a dozen),” Sullivan said. “That explains why we have such a huge contingent of guys coming up from the JV. But we don't have a huge drop off in numbers because of what (assistant coach and LHS JV head coach Kevin Clark) has done over the years. We plug the new guys in and they go. What coach Clark's been doing with huge numbers and managing pool space and getting the kids hooked into the sport and getting them to excel in the sport, getting them ready for varsity competition — it's a huge key to what we've been able to string together here over last half decade or so.”

The Lions return four seniors to their 2018-19 roster. They are Sean Denniston, Ryan Marso, Sean McKinney and Ethan Menges.

Fresh off a repeat Section VI title in boys volleyball last month, Denniston brings plenty more than tremendous athletic skills, he brings an outstanding work ethic and undeniable leadership skills. McKinney (baseball) and Menges (soccer) are also solid, all-around athletes, while Marso has impressed his coaches in his first season.

“Ethan's a distance freestyler, who had a nice end of the year, and Sean Denniston and Sean McKinney, who are kind of, ‘Mr. Everythings,’ are fantastic leadership guys,” Sullivan said.

“They set a great example. They've learned some of those leadership skills — Denniston from volleyball and McKinney from baseball — so it's really nice to reap the rewards of what they've learned from other sports. Ryan's new to the varsity. He's an incredibly hard worker. We're excited to see where his senior season takes him.”

Also back this season are highly-touted 2017 state qualifiers Jake Minnick and Mark Crocker, both juniors.

Minnick, the VI diving champion last year, “has been working incredibly hard,” Sullivan said.

“He's tweeked his dive list and added some new things and pushed up his degree of difficulty to make himself even more competitive at that next level of competition,” Sullivan said. “The past has been great, the future looks outstanding for him.”

Crocker comes of a top 20-finish in the state 100 butterfly finals last year.

“He's been upping his work load and his intensity,” Sullivan said. “I know he has some high personal expectations for the short and long term for the next couple of seasons.”

Several Lions swimmers, including some of those mentioned above, have already posted sectional-qualifying times at meets this season. Sullivan said this season there's a new emphasis on the class championships, which will now be a two-day format.

Among other LHS swimmers on the 22-man roster who have already qualified for the Section VI meet include juniors Ramsey Ross, Luke St. Amour and Colin Connolly.

“Ramsey jumped out in the 500 free, especially early on,” Sullivan said. “Luke has made some tremendous drops in the 500 free in the last couple of weeks where he finished last year and Colin has been dogged and diligent in making some changes to his breast stroke and I'm excited to see where he goes once he gets comfortable and natural and kind of thoughtless on those changes.”

The team to beat in the NFL this season looks like Kenmore — the combined Kenmore East and Kenmore West high schools — but Grand Island, whom the Lions defeated earlier this season, is also expected to be strong, Sullivan said.

“Kenmore has state qualifying relay, so they'll be a handful for us,” Sullivan said, “but I like out depth. We've already seen Grand Island and we'll see them again in a couple of weeks. They finished second at the Class B championship last year and didn't graduate a lot from their roster.” 

Rounding out the Lions' 2018-19 boys varsity swim roster are juniors Evan Bruning, Maxum Fernbacher, Jarrett Jones, Anthony Shay, Luke Smeal and Carson Tatro; sophomores Jackson Doran, Andrew Moran, Nicholas Preskop, Jacob Schnure and Trent Smith; freshman Luke Menges and eighth grader Cole Smith.

LHS Boys Swim Schedule

All meets are 5 p.m. starts

DATE OPPONENT

Fri. N-WHEATFIELD

Tue. @ North Tonawanda 

12/14 KENMORE

12/18 NIAGARA FALLS

12/21 GRAND ISLAND

1/4 @ Lewiston-Porter

1/8 WILLIAMSVILLE EAST

1/11 @ Niagara-Wheatfield

1/15 NORTH TONAWANDA

1/18 @ Kenmore

1/22 @ Niagara Falls

Lions Swim Roster

NAME GRADE

Sean Denniston 12

Ryan Marso 12

Sean McKinney 12

Ethan Menges 12

Evan Bruning 11

Colin Connolly 11

Mark Crocker 11

Maxum Fernbacher 11

Jarrett Jones 11

Jake Minnick 11

Ramsey Ross 11

Anthony Shay 11

Luke Smeal 11

Luke St. Amour 11

Carson Tatro 11

Jackson Doran 10

Andrew Moran 10

Nicholas Preskop 10

Jacob Schnure 10

Trent Smith  10

Luke Menges 9 

Cole Smith    8

NFL Boys Swimming

(As of today)

Team W L

Lockport 2 0

Kenmore 2 0

Gr. Island 1 1

Lew-Port 1 1

N-Wheatfield 1 1

Niagara Falls 0 2

N.Tonawanda 0 2