By Caroline Gentile, ’13, Contributor
During the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, the entire world stood transfixed as Michael Phelps won a record eight gold medals in the first week. Swimming showed that it was a sport that could capture the interest of millions of viewers. The swim team at CCDS has proven that they are just as exciting competitors, on track to defend both their MVC and SOSL championship titles.
With “times for both boys and girls ahead of last year’s performances at this time in the season,” Coach Marshall Adams’ expectations for the team are high. Both the boys and girls teams have done well so far this season, garnering key wins over Clark, Seven Hills, and Summit in December. Although they suffered losses to Wyoming and Mariemont, Coach Adams knows the team will “continue to make progress in [its] performances.”
In addition to the team’s goal of repeating last year’s success in the MVC and SOSL tournaments, each swimmer has his or her own individual ambitions. Returning state qualifier Elizabeth Blackburn, ’11, who swims the 100m butterfly and 200m IM, hopes to “make it [to districts] in one individual event.” However, Blackburn isn’t willing to set limits, explaining, “If I made it in both that would be a great accomplishment.” Avery Maier, a freshman, aspires to “improve my times with the passing of every meet.”
The boys swim team is led by last year’s state qualifiers, seniors Jimmy Stafford, Isaac Guttman, J.R. Strubbe, and sophomore Nathaniel Adams. Blackburn and Katie Leonard, ’12, set the pace for the girls squad. Other successful competitors on the boys team include freshman George Koglmeier and sophomores Kyle Goins and Charlie Warwick. As for the girls, juniors Kathryn Black and Kate Taylor, sophomore Lily Cohen (pictured), and freshman Caroline Blackburn, in addition to Maier, have had excellent mid-season performances.
Another goal of the swim teams for the season—besides winning the MVC and SOSL tournaments—is to increase the number of district qualifiers. In addition to returning state qualifiers, Warwick, Koglmeier, Taylor, and the younger Blackburn have “done times that should make them competitive in the tournament,” explained Coach Adams.
The next meet for the CCDS swim team is the MVC/SOSL championship on Feb. 6. Since this is their “big test,” as Coach Adams puts it, the team is poised to swim to the best of its ability in order to defend its title in the tournament.
Photo by Ilana Habib.
