2005. 4. 2 Ann Arbor News

There's a side of Sho Koba that few rarely see, a side that he himself only lets escape in a moment of allowing himself to act like a kid.

The normally shy and reserved Pioneer High School junior is typically the picture of mental toughness, a personality trait he carries over to the pool - his personal stage of domination. His stern determination has become a magnetic force, drawing teammates into a world built around hard work.

But soon after Pioneer claimed a Division I state championship earlier this month, a sense of accomplished relief finally allowed Koba to demonstrate a lighter side. For the first time, Koba - although unable to convey verbally how he was truly feeling - was beginning to make sense to the group of teen-agers he spends so much time around.

"He really let loose," said Koba's Pioneer teammate Rob Steele, who has been around Koba on a daily basis since the state record-holder arrived from Japan. "He was still pretty quiet, but he was a lot more animated. He made more comments and a few jokes. It's awesome to see because we're all used to seeing him so focused."

It's that focus, Koba's coach and teammates agree, that sets him apart from the rest of his competition. Come race time, Koba will mentally run images of his race through his head, choosing to leave the cheering on of his teammates to others.

At this month's Division I state championships at Eastern Michigan University, Koba swam in four events and left the meet not only with four

titles, but four state records. Individually, Koba set new marks in the 200 freestyle (1:38.51), the 100 freestyle (45.79) and was part of two Pioneer relays (200 and 400 free) that also broke the previous records.

"This day (was) amazing," Koba said after the state meet triumph. "I'm very happy."

Koba swam the anchor leg on both relays, continuing a trend of perfection that he has mastered in his time with Pioneer.

As strong of a year as Koba had this season, the 17-year-old continues to press forward. His time in the 200 dropped by nearly two seconds, dipping to a mark that Hill believes can be even lower when Pioneer defends its state title next year.

"As long as he keeps working, I think he can get better," Hill said. "And that's what he wants - to keep getting better."

Over the years, coach Dennis Hill has never been one to compare his Pioneer High School swimming teams.

He's had those that met their full potential, only to fall just short at the state championships. He's also had squads that have won the state crown going away on days when the Pioneers were simply better than the rest of the field.

But then there was this team. The one he knew from the beginning had the makings of a state champion. The one that suffered regular-season losses to Brother Rice and Zeeland. The one that battled one bout of illness after another, forcing swimmers to miss training in pivotal times of the season and driving Hill to battle frustration levels that he admits routinely got to him.

And yet, this was the team that broke four state records en route to a Division 1 title that came after a two-day performance that shocked even the veteran coach.

"This team really, really exceeded our expectations," Hill said. "We didn't think (broken) records at all with this team - those were just an added bonus. But they did so well - I was really kind of flabbergasted.

"We knew that they'd go faster (by the state meet), but how fast they went - we really didn't know."

As special as the Pioneers' state championship was, though, Hill chooses to look back four years ago when measuring the true merit of this team. He remembers a freshman David Curtis - whose best time in the 500 freestyle four years ago was 6 minutes, 4 seconds. At this year's state meet, Curtis - now a senior - capped his Pioneer career with a state title in the event with a time of 4:35.43.

Hill recalls when Sho Koba entered the program already strong, not knowing just how good the transfer student from Japan could be. Like the rest of Hill's team, Koba saved his best for the state championships, clinching four titles, setting meet records in the 100 and 200 freestyles.

"The kids just keep getting better, better and better," Hill said. "We know we're doing something right, but we're just not able to put our finger on what that is."

ステート大会で活躍した選手の紹介です。新聞には顔写真入で掲載されていますが、Webには残念ながら写真がありませんでした。

He finished sixth in the 100 backstroke, seventh in the 200 individual medley and swam on the record-setting 400 freestyle relay at the Division 1 state meet.

He finished as the Division 1 state runner-up in the 200 freestyle (1:40.55) behind Sho Koba, won a state title in the 500 freestyle (4:35.43) and swam on the 200 and 400 freestyle relays that won state championships.

Dixon finished fourth in the 200 individual medley and fifth in the 100 backstroke at the Division 1 state meet.

Hass finished third in the 100 butterfly and eighth in the 200 individual medley at the Division 1 state finals.

Koba claimed four state championships in the Division 1 finals - two in individual events and two on relays. Koba set state records in the 100 and 200 freestyles and was part of the 200 and 400 freestyle relays that also set state records as Pioneer won a team title.

Schroeder won his second straight one-meter diving title and in the process set a Division 2 state meet record for points scored in the 11-round diving championships with 465.30 points.

Steele finished sixth in the 100 butterfly and eighth in the 200 freestyle, helping lead the Pioneers to a Division 1 state team championship. He also swam on the Pioneers' state record-setting 200 freestyle relay.

Vessels defended his Division 2 state title in the 100 backstroke, breaking his state record. He also claimed the 50 freestyle state title and also swam on the Dreadnaughts' 200 medley relay that finished second and on the 400 medley relay that placed fifth, helping Dexter to a fourth-place team finish.

Warner finished second in the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:54.11 and finished fourth in the 100 backstroke at the Division 1 state championships.

The Huron swimmer posted a second-place finish in the 100 backstroke and placed sixth in the 50 freestyle at the Division 1 state championships.

The veteran coach guided the Pioneers to another state title after the team overcome a series of illnesses in the regular season. At the Division 1 state championships, the Pioneers broke four state records en route to the crown.