WBHS swimmers off to fast start

Overall, WBHS currently has four entries for state meet and four new school record. Also, every swimmer has improved times from last year and/or from meet to meet and goals are set to keep improving time, breaking records and qualifying for state, the coach said.

Those qualifying for state include:

•Quinn McDaniels: 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle

•Mitchell Buttler: 100 Backstroke

•Boys 200 free relay team of McDaniels, Alex Hentenaar, Jake Hester and Mitchell Buttler

Blevins also spoke of the accompishments and goals of each team member:

WBHS BOYS

•Quinn McDaniels, freshman: “He has set several new school records and has qualified for three state events, 100 back, 100 free and as part of 200 free relay. “He is a great swimmer, works hard, is a focused competitor and has goals of qualifying for every individual state event.”

•Mitchell Buttler, junior: “He has the most experience at the state level. He competed at state in the 100 backstroke for the last two years and has already qualified for state in the 100 back and 200 free relay this season. “He has good leadership skills and pushes each team member to do their best in practice and at meets."

•Alex Hentenaar, sophomore: “He has improved over last year greatly. His 500 freestyle time is more than 20 seconds faster and he is less than two seconds away from a state-qualifying time in that event. He should reach it soon. Alex is also a part of the 200 Free Relay that qualified for State during the first meet. He works very hard and is quietly competitive."

•Jared Glenn, junior: “Jared has improved from last year and is working to recover from an injury. He burned his hand the day before the first meet. He is almost fully recovered from that injury and is looking to continue to improve his times and earn a spot on a state relay.”

•Ian Hentenaar, eighth grade: “Ian is already breaking school records as an eighth grader. He has an incredible work ethic and very fast in the water. He has been swimming State times, but is not able to qualify until he is a ninth grader, next year.”

•Paul King, freshman: “Paul is very excited about swimming and I have been told that he has improved a lot since joining the team, based on his previous times. He is willing to swim anything and is currently the ‘fourth man” on the 400 free relay team that is eyeing a state qualifying time.”

•Leo Diaz, senior: “Leo has improved over last year with his freestyle times. He swims hard at practice and constantly wants to improve.”

•Dakotah Kay, eighth grade: “Dakotah is one that will swim anything he is asked. He seems to volunteer for the more difficult races (500 free) and wants nothing more than to improve with each race. He is an eighth grader and is very excited to be a part of the team.”

•Nelson Lofton, freshman: “Nelson’s times have improved since last year and he is working on strengthening other strokes. His times should continue to drop as the season progresses.”

•Skyler Lowe, junior: “Skyler is a natural athlete and is swimming faster than he was last year. He is looking to lower his times even more and improve his sprinting within the 50 and 100 free.”

•Jake Hester, senior: “Jake has already impressed me tremendously. He was thrown onto the 200 free relay the morning of the meet which resulted in a state qualifying time. He was asked to swim his best 50 free and he delivered. I am so proud of him and now have expectations of him to continue his exceptional racing.”

•Ryan Hendrickson, freshman: “As a first-year swimmer, Ryan works very hard at learning the techniques and form. His times have dropped nicely over the first two meets and he continues to work hard to keep lowering those times. He has a fun attitude and even challenged me to a race…which he barely won. If I beat him, he would have had to wear the Speedo brief at the next meet. Luckily, he didn’t have to.”

•Ryan Miller, freshman: “Ryan is usually the first boy at the pool and is a natural athlete all-around. He always looks for ways to improve and has great leadership skills. He works so hard at practice and I am sad that he will not be able to swim many meets. He also plays hockey and many of the swim meets conflict with his hockey schedule and hockey definitely comes first. It is just nice to know that he still wanted to swim knowing that he would not be able to compete very much.”

•Forest Nelson, freshman: “Forest is a first year swimmer and has already improved tremendously. He is dropping time and working hard to learn the fundamentals of each stroke and how to swim races effectively.”

•Josiah Bennett, senior: “Josiah is quite an impressive swimmer for only have started about two weeks ago. He has a long lean build and looks like a swimmer to begin with. Three days after his first practice he was racing the 50 free in under 30 seconds which is a great time for any new swimmer. The time is a great target because the room for improvement is plenty and he should be swimming under 26 seconds before the end of the season. Once he figures the technique out, he is going to be a great freestyle swimmer. He is, however, very eager to learn each stroke and I am sad he is a senior; that doesn’t give us much time to teach him.”

•Tony Brundage, senior: “Tony is a returning swimmer who has not been able to swim a meet yet, but should quickly compete with faster times than he swam last year. He is always willing to listen to constructive criticism and then focus on what he needs to do to improve.”

WBHS LADY BULLDOGGS

•Clara Moody, senior: “Clara had surgery the week after the season ended, last year. The surgery was to correct her scoliosis and doctors inserted a metal rod in the lower part of her back. She swam summer league and kept in contact with me. She was so excited about how fast she bounced back from the surgery, about how much better it felt to swim and that she really wants to swim in college. Her times are faster and she is currently very close to a state qualifying time in the 50 free.”

•Caitlin Connell, junior: “Caitlin is swimming better times than she did last year and is working hard to improve her stroke technique in the freestyle and breaststroke. She swims great at practice and really wants to make sure she continues to drop time when she competes.”

•Anna Dean, junior: “In her first 100 back race of the season, Anna dropped more than four seconds from her time last year. She is constantly looking to improve and drop time and should be able to do so throughout the rest of the season."

•Kristina Brown, junior: “Kristina is the first girl at practice and wants to make sure she finishes each workout. The first meet she questioned me on the time that was seeded for her. I reminded her that the time was one she swam last year and she couldn’t believe it. She then went on to swim her race about three seconds faster than her seeded time. She was pleasantly surprised at performance and I was so proud of her for doing much better than she thought she could.”

•Ashley Cook, junior: “Ashley is a first-year swimmer, but came to us with some experience. She is decent at every stroke and is willing to swim what is asked of her. She has improved from meet to meet and is looking forward to continuing that pattern."

•Katie Ginsberg, freshman: “Katie is a first-year swimmer and is doing very well. She improves every time she gets into the water. Her stroke technique is getting better in each of the four strokes and her times are dropping.”

“As a whole, this team is a lot of fun to work with,” Blevins said. “Everyone is very willing to improve and drop time and are representing WBHS well. I am very excited about the state qualifying times that have already been met and have high expectations for more state qualifying times to be met. I am even more excited, already, for next year. Knowing that we have few senior boys, the boys team is going to be very strong next year. The only thing we are missing for this year is a larger girls’ team. Hopefully the numbers will go up next year.”