Sherman, Kerbo represent S-C at state

After leading Smith-Cotton to its fifth-straight West Central Conference title, Ehan Sherman and Derrick Kerbo will represent the Tigers against the best swimmers and divers in the state today and Saturday in St. Peters.

The journey has been a tale of two experiences for the senior swimmer and freshman diver.

After failing to qualify in the top 16 — swimmers who advance to Saturday — in his two previous trips to state, Sherman is looking to make a splash in the lanes and go out on top in the 50 and 100 freestyle events.

The 6-foot-3 swimmer also qualified for state in the 200 freestyle, but allowed to compete in only two events, he chose his strongest events.

Coming off a disappointing swim in last year’s 50 freestyle — he  placed 28th with a time of 22:57 — Sherman has  improved on his strokes, flip turn and focus in the lanes to pose a threat to this year’s field. His qualifying time of 22.22 seconds has him seeded 17th in the 50 freestyle, so advancing to day two isn’t a stretch.

“My focus is where it needs to be. I’m hoping to do a little better than last year and place in the top 16 and advance to Saturday,” Sherman said.

In the 100 freestyle, advancing to the second day isn’t expected based on past results and this year’s times. This will be Sherman’s third-straight year swimming the event, but he has yet to finish in the top 30 after a 51:16 finish in 2007 and a 51:68 finish last year.

This time around, his 50:04 qualifying time has him seeded near the top 30, but Sherman is just hoping to improve on his previous finishes.

For Kerbo, the trip will be a learning experience with his attention focused on one event. Despite becoming a fixture in the lanes this season, the toned freshman found his niche on the diving board in the 1-meter diving despite having little experience.

His talent blossomed during the past two summers at Liberty Pool, diving with the likes of three-year Smith-Cotton state medalist Quinton Dobnikar.

“It all started at Liberty Pool, just diving and having fun,” Kerbo said. “I guess I got better watching Quinton and decided I could compete. He taught me stuff and this year, I’ve learned a lot of dives and I’ve just gotten better and better with the experience.”

Kerbo qualified for state late in the season with a score of 225 points, and equipped with a lineup of difficult dives, he believes he can improve on that mark Saturday.

“(To make the) top 16, hit every dive, stay focused (and) not be nervous would be great, and if I do those, I should be fine,” Kerbo said.

Nerves could be a problem, though, considering it will be the most competitive field he has faced.

“I’m going to be nervous on the drive up there, nervous when I get there and nervous when I step on the board,” he said. “But once I land a dive, hopefully I’ll be fine.”

Smith-Cotton head coach Jerry Tankersley believes the duo has what it takes to compete near the top amongst the talented field.

“With Derrick, I’m hoping top 16,” he said. “It’s his freshman year, nerves are going to play a role and he’s inexperienced. ... He’s one of those guys, though, that if he hits his dives and he hits them well, he’ll be a sleeper who might sneak into the top 16.”

“With Ehan, if he has a good day in the 50, he can definitely make top 16 based on times. In the 50, he hasn’t hit his best this year. Last year he hit a 49.47, so he’s got more in him if he has a good day.”

State meet
Friday and Saturday in St. Peters
Smith-Cotton athletes: Ehan Sherman (swimming) and Derrick Kerbo (diving)