20
SWIMMING
sports
February 2017 • tigertimesonline.com
photo by r. sizemore
‘STATE’ OF MIND
TIGERSHARKS WIN REGIONALS, QUALIFY TO ADVANCE TO NEXT LEVEL BY LAUREN POTTER in-depth editor After a successful win for the Tigershark swim and dive teams at regionals Feb. 3-4 in Lewisville, 21 of the swimmers and divers will be traveling to the state meet in Austin Friday-Saturday. “Regionals went really well,” head coach Eric Vogan said. “The kids performed exceptionally this year. They’ve been working hard, and it showed at the regional meet.” The Tigersharks will compete in 18 out of 24 events. “We had a lot more winners [in individual events] this year than we have had in the past five or six years,” Vogan said. “We had kids step up that we didn’t even think would be in the top two to win events.” Advancing in the boys’ individual events are freshmen Owen Likins and Max Young, sophomore Dylan Rosser and junior Nick Radomski. “I was really nervous, but I just thought it through, did all my underwaters correctly and it turned out better than I thought it would,” Rosser said. “The training definitely paid off. I worked hard all year and dropped 10 seconds in almost all my events.” On the girls side, junior Kristin Clayton and seniors Cathryn Payne and Ohemaa Barnes will compete in their individual events. “I was ready for [the 100 breaststroke] since I have been swimming it the past couple of years,” Clayton said. “I’m just ready to prove myself. I didn’t think I had my best time but I was just happy to be moving on.” There will be 24 in each event instead of the usual 16. “State should be an interesting event this year with 24 going in each event instead with only 16 moving on the next day,” Vogan said. “We have got a lot of kids going to state, but state is going to be really fast.” The team’s 400 and 200 freestyle relay and 200 medley relay also advanced to state. “I think [the relays] went really well, and I felt that the girls team is really strong,” Payne said. “I’m a little nervous going into state because I know the competition will be intense.” In diving, seniors Hunter Burt and Lauren Potter, juniors Courtney Lourens and Jacob Mitchmore and sophomore Robert Bland will compete at the state level. “All of us divers didn’t do as great as we could’ve, but we all placed well,” Burt said. “There is going to be a lot more competition [at state], so we are going to have to work harder.” The Tigersharks will have their annual send–off breakfast Thursday at 7:30 a.m. in the Tiger Center. “I’m excited about our opportunities at state because we have so many people who have qualified,” senior Linley Murdock said. “Because our region is slower, we definitely have some competition ahead of us. This is my last chance to prove myself, so everything is becoming more serious, and I’m trying to enjoy every moment.”
SHAVING TRADITION
WINNER WINNER Sophomore Dylan Rosser kneels down to let his coach, Eric Vogan, put the gold medal around his neck after winning his individual event. He will be adcancing to the state competition in Austin on Feb. 17-18.
Jacob Mitchmore, 11 “First we bleach our hair and then shave it right before photo by m. parish we leave for regionals. Shaving our heads is a team team tradition, so we all go to Park Salon to shave our heads as a team. The seniors shave all the underclassmen’s heads. I also shaved my eyebrows with some of the other guys; it’s just a fun thing to do with the team.”
HIGH FIVE Freshmen Max Young and Owen Likins celebrate their victory in the 500 yard freestyle at the Regional meet, held in Lewisville, Texas. Both of the underclassmen boys qualified for state in this event. photo by r. sizemore
INDIVIDUAL EVENTS AT STATE Ipicomnos, nonlostris conce condis, ut prox mante vem hocute confex mu
OHEMAA BARNES,12
“I’m excited. Last year I didn’t quite make it in any of my individual events, which is really upsetting, photo by p. spaulding but considering I made it to state in these events my sophomore and freshman year I’m just excited that I had the chance to make it to state again in the same events.”
50 FREESTYLE & 100 BACKSTROKE
HUNTER BURT, 12
“It’s a bittersweet moment. I’m happy for it to end but sad I won’t be able to compete at photo by p. spaulding anymore meets with my friends. My goal for this meet is to get a better score and to get higher than ninth place. With extra competiton this year, I’m not sure what to expect. I think I’ll do pretty good with more people because I will work harder for it.”
1 METER DIVING
MAX YOUNG, 9
“I’m excited [to go to state as a freshman]. I have been working hard all year to break the 500 record, and I photo by p. spaulding think this meet is my shot. After this meet, I want to start doing to 100 freestyle and more sprint events rather than distance. If I get the record this year, the next couple of years I want to change over and do some sprint events.”
200 & 500 FREESTYLE