Thornton’s guiding lights

SACO — For Thornton Academy star diver Tyler Goulden and star swimmer Katie Wolf, this weekend’s Southwestern Championship isn’t all about winning a regional title. For them, it’s a chance to improve as they stare down a bigger prize.

“I just want to better my times,” Wolfe said. “I look at this as a great way to get ready for states.”

“I don’t want to say it doesn’t mean anything,” Goulden said, “but states is really what we’re getting ready for. This is a big meet, but it’s preparation for the bigger event.”

The boys Southwesterns begin today at 3:30 p.m. at Cape Elizabeth High School. The girls will swim starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Cape Elizabeth High School.

Wolfe has qualified for states in the 200 individual medley, the 100 fly, the 100 back and the 100 free. She can only swim in three events at Southwesterns and states, and she has chosen the 100 fly and the 100 back.

“They are definitely my favorite events,” she said.

It also makes sense since those are her strongest events. She is currently ranked seventh in the state in the 100 fly with her best time at 35.07. For Southwesterns, her main competition for a Southwestern crown is Westbrook’s Kathryn Violette (29.17 and ranked second in the state).

She is also ranked ninth in the state in the 100 back with a time of 32.20. Again, her main competition on Saturday will be Violette (ranked six at 31.54) and Deering’s Emma Pontius (ranked fourth at 30.78). Carina Eumes of Sanford is ranked second in the state, however, she returned to Germany and will not be able to compete on Saturday.

Either way, it doesn’t matter to Wolfe, she said.

“I don’t really focus on the other swimmers,” she said. “I just try to focus on what I’m doing and how I can get better.”

Goulden, a junior, has dominated the diving boards this year, smashing two school records this season. On Saturday he broke Keith Burgie’s 6 dive format record of 200.70 scoring 233.90. In mid January, he smashed another one of Burgie’s 2004 records scoring 401.5 points at the York County Diving Invitational. Burgie’s score was 303.7.

Goulden doesn’t focus on records, he said.

“They’re just records,” he said. “It’s nice to have done it during the moment, but I am really just focusing on getting ready for Southwesterns and then trying to win a state title.”

So far this season he has established himself as one of the best divers in the state. He is ranked first in the 1-meter 6-dive and the 11-dive formats. His closest state competition in the 11 dive is Kennebunk senior Ashton Thomas, who’s best score is 287.3 to Goulden’s 401.5.

Wolfe and Goulden attribute their backgrounds to their current success.

Goulden competed in gymnastics from fourth to eighth grade. During that time he learned to seek out perfection.

“He is a perfectionist,” Thornton Academy coach Kathy Leahy said. “He pays a lot of attention to every detail.”

“She’s always trying to get me to relax and smile a bit,” Goulden said. “It’s hard at times though because I think of diving like I thought of gymnastics. There’s always a perfect score to go after.”

Wolfe has been swimming since she was eight years old. She fell in love with the sport, and with the support of her father Britton Wolfe (a former swimmer) she made it her main sport on which to focus.“She is a hard working and gifted swimmer,” Leahy said. “It’s exciting to watch her compete in the pool.”

Neither Wolfe nor Goulden know where they’re going to college, but Goulden said he wants to continue diving either for UMaine or UNH. Wolfe said she will continue swimming if she attends UMaine, but she is also considering Bowdoin College.

Massabesic boys seeking a title

The Massabesic boys swimming team has swam to a 7-1 record this season with its only loss coming to Windham earlier in the year.

Mustangs coach Kevin Broad said he knows Windham is the best competition in the Southwestern region, but he likes his team’s chances of winning a title tonight.

“I think we have a great shot,” he said. “We have a lot of experience and a tight group of swimmers.”

He has a reason to be confident when he has Tyler Wright, Sam LaRivier, Connor Mayhew, Collin Hart and Phil Mendes.

Hart is currently ranked ninth in the 50, fifth in the 100 back and 10th in the 100 free. Wright is ranked top three in the 500 free, 200 free and 200 individual medley. He is also ranked second in the back stroke and the 100 fly.

LaRivier is ranked seventh in the 100 breast and eight in the 200 IM free.

All of those swimmers make up Massabesic’s relay teams, which are ranked top three in the state.

“They just swim well and know how to swim,” Broad said.

Others to watch

Sanford senior Karina Urqhart is currently ranked top 10 in the 50 free, 100 fly, 100 free and 500 free, having already qualified for all of these events for the state meet ”¦ Kennebunk diver Ashton Thomas is ranked second in the 11 dive format and eighth in the 6 dive format. Teammate McHale Whitehouse is ranked ninth in the 100 fly and 10th in the 100 back ”¦ Biddeford’s Katherine Brady is ranked 10th in the 100 fly ”¦ Thornton Academy’s Kathleen Lord is ranked sixth in the 100 breast, Kennebunk’s Jamie Dussault is ranked eighth in the 100 breast and Massabesic’s Abbey Auger is ranked 10th in the 100 breast ”¦ In girls diving, Kennebunk’s Tori Leonard is ranked third in the 6-Dive 1-meter format, Thornton’s Sydney Giroux is ranked fourth in the same event, while Kennebunk’s Danielle Richard and Megan Cadigan are ranked eighth and ninth. In the 11-dive format, Leonard is ranked first, while Giroux is fourth, OOB’s Marissa White is ranked fifth and Kennebunk’s Katharine Feldman is ranked 10th at 175.30.

Sign In: