The Winder-Barrow High School Swim Doggs have already had numerous impressive showings this season.
Personal bests have been set and repeatedly broken. New school records have been established. Swimmers have qualified for the upcoming state meet.
Now, coach Jennifer Blevins will lead the team into the second half of the 2011-2012 slate with even more goals in sight.
“Heading into the second half of the season, we are looking forward to each swimmer reaching the peak of their personal bests, qualifying more events for state and performing well when we get to the state meet in February,” the coach said. “We did practice over the winter break so that each swimmer can stay in shape to finish out the season.”
Going into the unofficial region meet this weekend hosted by Habersham Central, the Swim Doggs will be without standout Alex Hentenaar due to a band commitment.
“He is an important member of the team, swims on the strongest relays and is still vying for his spot at state in the 500 freestyle,” Blevins said. “He is so close to a state time and will continue to swim the race until he swims below the coveted 5:20 needed to qualify for state. The 200 medley relay and 400 free relay will also miss Alex. He swims the butterfly on the medley relay and a leg on the 400 relay. Both are events that we are trying to qualify for state.”
At the region meet, Quinn McDaniels will swim for a state spot in the 100 breaststroke.
Eighth graders Ian Hentenaar and Dakotah Kay cannot swim the region meet, but will be able to next year and Blevins said she and the team are looking forward to each one continuing to be an asset.
“Without Alex, we will lose some valuable points needed to score high within the meet,” the coach said. “It is kind of hard to say where we will finish in the meet. At the region meet, I am just hoping for each swimmer to swim their best, be confident with their performance and to represent Winder-Barrow High School well.”
After Saturday’s region meet, the Swim Doggs will continue training for personal bests, state qualifying times in more events and lowering the state qualifying times already reached.
“We are looking to qualify Quinn in every individual event, Alex in the 500 free, Mitchell in the 50 free, Clara in the 50 free and boys in the 200 medley relay and 400 free relay,” said Blevins said. “The boys in the relay will be Alex Hentenaar, Mitchell Buttler, Quinn McDaniels and whichever boy joins them. We try a different ‘fourth man’ every time we swim either relay. I never know who we will swim. It depends on who is there to swim, who is ready to swim, who has been at practice and who has a time that is fast enough to help bring the overall relay time down. Several boys have been swimming in the ‘fourth man’ spot, including Jake Hester, Jared Glenn, Skyler Lowe and Paul King. Josiah Bennett will definitely be swimming in a ‘fourth man’ spot soon.”
The second half of the season will also bring more swimmers to try new events.
Blevins said most of the beginning swimmers have not ventured past swimming freestyle in a race.
“Now is the time to be a little more adventurous,” the coach said. “Ryan Nowakowski, Ryan Miller, Forest Nelson and Katie Ginsberg are some of the newer swimmers who will be trying new events. First-year swimmer Ashley Cook has already tried other events besides the freestyle events and will continue to do so. Caitlin Connell will continue to work to improve her time in the breaststroke and Anna Dean will do the same with the backstroke. Kristina Brown, who usually swims freestyle events has ventured to longer distances, but will try other events, as well. Ryan Miller, who is a first-year swimmer, but has tried other events other than the freestyle will hopefully continue to improve in those events and finish the year with personal bests.”
Eight graders Ian Hentenaar and Dakotah Kay are only eligible to swim the Clayton County meet Dec. 4 and will not be able to swim the Region meet, the Clarke-Oconee Invitational and the Metro-Atlanta Championships at Westminster and the State Meet. None of those meets allow for middle school swimmers or exhibition swimmers to compete.
“We are looking forward to them swimming the full meet schedule next year,” Blevins said.
