- November 23, 2024
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Seabreeze's state qualifiers: back row, Martin Montalvo, Caleb Orchard, Cole Long and Dante DiPietro. Front: Mackenzie O'Keefe and Addie Smurdon. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Dante DiPetro and Martin Montalvo dive off the blocks in swim practice Nov. 14 at Ormond Beach YMCA. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Caleb Orchard is seeded among the top five in the 50 freestyle and the 100 breaststroke. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Mackenzie O'Keefe is seeded ninth in the 100 butterfly and sixth in the 200 free. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Just about every time Seabreeze senior Caleb Orchard dives into a pool, he improves on his swim times. So, when he says his goal is to finish among the top three in both of his events at the Class 2A state swim championships and maybe take a win, his competitors ought to take him seriously.
Orchard is seeded fourth in the 50-yard freestyle and fifth in the 100-yard breast stroke at the Nov. 19 meet at Sailfish Splash Waterpark and Aquatics Center in Stuart.
He won district on Oct. 25 with a time of 22.32 seconds in the 50 free. At region a week later, he lowered his time to 22.08. His drop in the 100 breaststroke from 1:03.18 at district to 1:00.54 at region was even more dramatic.
"I dropped 11 seconds this year in my 100 breast, and I drop three seconds at every meet I swim in," he said.
Perhaps his advantage is that he's just hitting his stride. Unlike most swimmers who qualify for state, Orchard is not a year-round club swimmer. He's only been swimming regularly since he was a freshman, and he only swims during the high school season. In other words, he's a swimming unicorn.
"I did a swimming class in sixth grade. It was an intro into it. Then I swam a little more in seventh grade just for two months. That was in California," he said. "When I moved here I didn't swim again until freshman year."
Orchard said he tried club swimming for about a week and didn't like it.
"The club teams don't feel as much like a team, because everyone's there to swim for themselves. Here, it feels like everyone wants to be together. It's fun. That's what I like about it."
Orchard is one of six Seabreeze swimmers who will be competing at state. In addition to his two individual events, Orchard is also in the 200 medley relay with Martin Montalvo, Dante DiPietro and Cole Long. The Sandcrabs are seeded 16th. Montalvo is also swimming in the 100 backstroke, where he is seeded 21st.
Freshman Addie Smurdon is seeded 14th in the girls 100 freestyle and 23rd in the 200 freestyle. Sophomore Mackenzie O'Keefe, who like Orchard is making a return trip to state, is seeded ninth in the 100 butterfly and sixth in the 200 freestyle.
Father Lopez sophomore Nelanee Fulton is seeded ninth in the girls 200-yard individual medley and 15th in the 100 butterfly at the Class 1A state meet on Nov. 18 at Sailfish Splash Waterpark.
Both the 1A and 2A state meets were moved back a week because of Hurricane Nicole. The sudden change of schedule did not do the swimmers any favors, Seabreeze coach Samantha Fabulich said.
"It makes it a little difficult to train kids, taper them properly. But I know they're excited and ready to get it done."
— SAMANTHA FABULICH, Seabreeze swim coach on the state meet postponements
"It makes it a little difficult to train kids, taper them properly," she said. "But I know they're excited and ready to get it done."
O'Keefe is hoping to finish among the top eight in prelims in both of the 200 free and the 100 butterfly.
"I'm hoping to make the A final in both of my events," she said.
Last year at state, O'Keefe finished 21st in the 200 free and ninth in the 100 fly. This year she has been focusing more on the 200 free.
"I owe it to my two coaches (Fabulich and Garrett Klayer)," she said. "Because I feel like I've swam a lot of 200 frees this year. My technique with my stroke is a lot better. I wanted to improve in that event, and I dropped so much at districts this year."
Unlike Orchard, O'Keefe is a year-round swimmer with Hydro4. Her highlight last year was qualifying for Speedo Sectionals where she got to see Olympic gold medalists Caleb Dressel and Michael Andrew compete.
"It was a huge accomplishment for me," she said. "There were a ton of huge Olympian swimmers. It was really motivating."
Orchard is planning to join a club team for the first time after state. As well as he's been swimming, he says he's not ready to hang it up.
"That way I can drop my times even more and walk on to a college team, wherever I go to college, and see if I can swim for them," he said.
