By Edwin Sam ’13, Sports Editor
The boys and girls swim teams are relishing in their success this month after remarkable performances at the MVC and SOSL.
Co-MVC swimmers of the Year, Nathaniel Adams ‘12 and Charlie Warwick’12 led the CCD swim team to the co-MVC title and a runner-up finish in the Southern Ohio Swim League (SOSL).
As the boys team of eight found out, the only way to keep up with larger teams is for each swimmer to produce when they’re in the spotlight. The Seven Hills team that shares the MVC title with the Indians has nearly twice as many swimmers as the CCD squad. As co-captain Adams pointed out, “swimming is an individual sport, but you still rely on your teammates’ encouragement to get through big meets.”
Each individual result was necessary for the team to keep up with Seven Hills. The squad was down 12 points before the last event. The A 400 relay won the event and the B relay also placed well to make up for the difference in points. Winning the MVC title was a total team effort, as underclassmen as well as upperclassmen picked up essential points in the meet.
Freshman Carter McMaster ’14 earned 4th in the 50 free and helped the relays that won MVC titles. Sophomores Alexandre Cabello ‘13 and Alec Bunge ’13 won 2nd and 3rd respectively in the 200 free, and Cabello also had 4th in the 100 butterfly. Jacob Stafford ‘13 also took 6th in the 100 backstroke.
Co-captain Warwick described the group of underclassmen as “outstanding, because they put in a lot of effort.” He also added that Cabello and McMaster in specific will be excellent swimmers that will lead the swim team in years to come.
Without any seniors on the team, juniors Michael Hanson ’12 and Eddy Walton ’12 also had to step up as leaders. At the MVC meet, Hanson grabbed 3rd in the 500 freestyle and Walton finished 6th in the 100 free. As the team looks to
send one or two relays to state, these six swimmers will be as important to the team as Adams and Warwick.
When the CCDS swim team graduated five seniors last year, Adams knew that he and Warwick would have to step up this year to lead the small group of guys. Nathaniel won the 100 Freestyle and 200 Breaststroke titles at the MVC meet. “It took a lot of effort [to win MVC]. This year, I’ve watched Nathaniel pour his heart into swimming,” said Warwick. He has dominated all season through hard work and rigorous training. Adams goes to morning practices on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. They start at 4:50 A.M. during the week and 6:40 A.M. on the weekends. He practices every night, except for the weekends, from 4:30 P.M. to 7 or 8 o’clock at night. In addition, he usually lifts weights on Tuesdays or Thursdays.
“It is a demanding schedule, and it can be difficult to balance school and swimming,” Adams said of his routine. To get an edge over other swimmers Adams swims with the Cincinnati Aquatic Club (CAC) as well as swimming with CCDS. “I swim for CAC because club swimming is a lot more demanding and challenging,” Adams said. “There is an intense weight program and dry land program.” His CAC coach, Benson Spurling, explained what makes Adams such a great swimmer. “Nathaniel is a very powerful athlete with great strength and explosive ability. He works very hard to have a good body type and he tapers for peak performance. When he first started, he did not have a great feel for the water. His skills have gained through hard work, technique, and mental toughness.”
Warwick. the other star of the boys swim team, has also put in a tremendous amount of effort, both mentally and physically, to balance swimming with the schoolwork of junior year. Warwick also swims outside of school with the Mercy Healthplex Seawolves. His intense work began last year when he broke the one minute barrier in the 100 butterfly at districts.
In the MVC meet this year, he won the 200 Individual Medley and the 100 butterfly. Warwick uses the mental portion of swimming to his advantage. “As I get on the block, I have to focus on getting into the water as fast as possible. All of my planning goes on before I get on the block,” Warwick said. “Often, you are not competing against others, but competing against yourself. You have to blank out everything. Once you are off the block you have to execute.”
As Warwick pointed out, for the rest of the season, “It’s about getting the rapid break-out stroke. It helps to rest and get the energy back to go into difficult races.” At sectionals, the CCD swim team looks to build upon the success they had in the MVC, and to get as many events as possible into districts and states.
The girls swim team also had a great showing at the MVC/SOSL meet, winning the MVC and SOSL. Katie Leonard ’12 won the 100 Freestyle and 200 Freestyle, and senior Kate Taylor ’11 and junior Lily Cohen ‘12 gained valuable points by placing 2nd in the 100 Backstroke and 3rd in the 50 Free respectively. Senior Elizabeth Blackburn ’11 showed versatility, getting 5th in each the 200 Individual Medley and the 100 Butterfly. In addition to these stellar individual performances, the team’s unity and senior leadership led them to the MVC title. “Elizabeth [Blackburn], Kathryn [Black], and Kate [Taylor] have all been great mentors to the underclassmen. They really helped and did all they could to improve and drive the team,” said Avery Maier ’13. The leadership and unity were shown in the squad’s amazing results in the relays. The 200 Free Relay, consisting of Cohen, Abby McInturf ’13, Black, and Leonard, won the MVC championship while the 400 Free Relay with Leonard, Taylor, Black, and Maier earned 2nd. The relays were especially important in winning the MVC and SOSL because relays are worth twice as many points as individual races. While enjoying the success of the MVC/SOSL meet, the girls must also look forward to sectionals. As the biggest meets of the year come up, the girls will encourage each other to perform to the best of their ability to send as many people as possible into the district meet.
