Karson Applin’s analytical mind doesn’t apply only to engineering and technology.

The Carver High School junior, who swims for Eisenhower, throws himself into swimming to the point that he’s studied tapes to help himself improve.

Something has paid off this year for Applin, who qualified for this weekend’s UIL State Swimming and Diving Championships in the 100 breaststroke and came close in the 100 butterfly. He is Eisenhower’s first state representative in about 20 years, coach Lois Marsh said.

“He’s looked at the rest of the (state) field and people he’s swam against at other meets,” Marsh said. “He’s smart enough to see the skills he’s had to pick up. He’s watched tapes to try to get better. That’s that determination factor in him. I know he’s capable of handling it.”

Applin won the 100 breast at the Region 5 meet, besting his preliminary time of 59.89 by nearly a second to win in 58.99 and secure an automatic berth to this weekend’s meet in Austin. He swam 52.32 in the 100 fly but fell short of qualifying.

A standby for the state meet in 2006, Applin also swims in the Harris County Aquatics Program. He attends Carver, an Aldine ISD magnet school for engineering, applied technology and the arts.

Applin holds school records in the 100 breast, 100 fly and 500 freestyle, and is close to breaking the 200 IM and 200 free records.

“He’s very good at academics and I think that ties in to how good a swimmer he is,” Marsh said.

Marsh hopes Applin serves as an example to others, especially because Eisenhower doesn’t have the depth or facilities to match many suburban powers.

“We have a four-lane practice pool at each (Aldine ISD) high school, but we just don’t have the kids who swim six days a week,” Marsh said. “He’s swam for 10 years. … I felt very confident he could have a good year.”

Clearing a few hurdles

Memorial’s girls 400 free relay trimmed its time this year by nearly three seconds, but almost watched that improvement go by the boards at the regional meet.

The Mustangs’ first swimmer, Emily Shoemaker, slipped at the start of the race but didn’t affect the outcome. Memorial finished third in 3:35.66, a vast improvement from last year’s best time of 3:38.1.

“We thought we were dead,” Mustangs coach Jason Mauss said. “We were excited. It showed we were able to overcome an obstacle and still qualify.”

The team is composed of seniors Shoemaker and Carleigh Kutac, junior Kristin Rollins and sophomore Catherine Wagner.

Memorial’s 200 free relay team of Shoemaker, Kristin Rollins, Sheryl Wise and Sam Hood also advanced.

“The club swimming and all the year-round swimming is a tremendous help, plus we have a group of hard-working young ladies. We have a lot of depth. We had it last year too but we missed out by a smidgeon,” Mauss said. “They knew what they had to do last year and they all returned. They just came together and jelled.”

Memorial is sending its boys 400 free relay to state for the first time in about two decades.

Area pride

Houston-area boys teams will seek this weekend looking to reinforce the dominance this region enjoyed for most of the past 15 years. Kingwood’s boys team is seeking its sixth state championship since 2003.

Its dominating victory last year, when Kingwood’s 250 points easily outdistanced Southlake Carroll (150) and doubled third-place Plano (125.5), answered Dallas’ statement from 2006.

That year, Frisco won 4A and Southlake Carroll took 5A to snap this area’s 13-year string of at least one champiopship. Kingwood won in 1993, 1994, 2002 and 2005, and The Woodlands won in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2004.

The Woodlands qualified both boys and girls into eight events each; Kingwood has competitors in five events on each side.
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UIL Swimming and Diving State Championships

WHEN: Friday and Saturday.

WHERE: Texas Swimming Center, corner of Martin Luther King and San Jacinto boulevards, Austin.

SCHEDULE: Friday, 4A swimming and diving, preliminaries and consolations begin at 10 a.m. The same rounds for 5A start at 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, the 4A swimming and diving finals are at 9:30 a.m. The 5A finals begin at 3:30 p.m.

TO SEE THE COMPLETE FIELD: Visit http://www.uil.utexas.edu/athletics/swim_dive/state/qualifiers/5A_qualifiers.html.

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