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Friday, May 18, 2012
Covering Dallas, Monmouth, Independence, Falls City and surrounding areas since 1868
Central’s Andrew Hasbrook, center, listens as coaches Shawn Martin left, and Teresa Tolzmann, right, discuss his and Robert Berry ‘s (white cap) performances in Friday’s Class 4A State Swimming Championships 50-yard freestyle preliminaries. Berry went on to finish third in Saturday’s finals and Hasbrook was sixth.
February 22, 2012
GRESHAM -- For Robert Berry and Andrew Hasbrook, Saturday's Class 4A-3A-2A-1A State Swimming Championships was no new experience.
The Central senior duo managed to qualify for their year-end goal every season including their last one, amidst injuries that could have sidelined some athletes.
That was plenty to like for Central coach Teresa Tolzmann.
"I know it's not maybe what they thought they were going to be able to do on the second day, but they're injured kids -- to see that they went this far with injuries to both of them, that's pretty impressive.
"I'm very proud of them."
Oh, and they didn't swim half-bad, either.
Robert Berry
Berry, battling through both torn labrums in his shoulders, picked up his best finish in any event with a third-place performance in the 50-yard freestyle (22.57) and finished fourth in the 100 breaststroke.
Hasbrook tore his ACL in the fall and has only been able to use both legs to kick for less than a month.
He defied the odds to finish sixth in the 50 freestyle (23.17).
Top that off with the fact that both seniors joined Matt Stanger and Rahevin Potter-Clark to propel the 200 freestyle relay to a fifth-place finish (1:34.25).
Berry, who had hoped for a state title, said that even though he was a bit disappointed with his finals times after a faster day in the pool during Friday's prelims, he was thankful for the opportunity to compete at the state level one last time.
"I'm definitely going to remember the friendships and the bond with all the guys on my relay and team and being able to swim together for the past four years," he said.
"Especially with Andrew, being able to swim together on the relays and support each other, that was a really good experience, and just swimming the last time at state and giving it our all."
Hasbrook already has interest in collegiate swimming, while Berry hopes that may be an option -- as well as possibly rescue swimming in the Navy -- as long as his postseason shoulder surgery goes well.
"They're going to continue swimming in their lives, and as a coach that makes me happy they're going to continue on," Tolzmann said.
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