Swim Seasons Running Together
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Area high school pools are a little bit busier in the winter season with the combination of both the boys' and girls' swim campaigns in the same season.
As expected, the change and fight for pool time as effected the smaller schools more than the larger schools. Warsaw, with the Community Pool, really hasn't been affected nor has Wawasee, which has a pool at the high school and the middle school.
"We have been able to work around it because of our facilities," Warsaw girls' coach Lisa Ulrey said. "Warsaw has an unbelievable pool, and we are fortunate in that respect. Other schools, though, I am sure are struggling with it."
"We have a different situation than most schools around here because we have a pool at the high school also (with meets at the middle school)," Karns said. "We have been moving them back and forth. I take one practice and my assistant takes another."
Schools that don't have those luxuries have had the biggest stumbling blocks in the early part of the season.
"So far, so good," Manchester boys' coach Dave Owens said. "We do some practices combined, so we are all doing the same thing. It is kind of fun having a bigger group. It has its pluses and minuses. My guess is because of the logicistic problems, some day they might make another change. It is not a good sport to have combined."
"It has been kind of rough," Valley boys'/girls' coach Steve Doerscher said. "But we are making the best of it."
And sometimes the combination of the two seasons have other effects.
"We lost some of our girls to gymnastics," Manchester girls' coach Jabin Burnworth said. "It is a drag they had to choose. But I am glad they are doing something."
Here is a look at the area swim teams, so of whom have already started their seasons.
Girls
Wawasee
The two-time defending Northern Lakes Conference champions will be everybody's target this year, but have the talent to defend for a third year.
"While we graduated important swimmers from last year, we return a bulk of our point scorers," Wawasee girls' coach Roger Karns said. "As is always the case, how good they are is determined how much they are willing to commit to being good athletes."
Among the 13 returning letterwinners for the Warriors will be defending sectional champion Stacy Naugler, 2-time NLC breaststroke champ Jennifer Ganshorn and state meet participants Kristine Shivers and Jenny Marty.
"They feel like they can defend the NLC crown," Karns said. "The NLC is always competitive and even more so this year. There are some awful good swimmers in the Northern Lakes Conference this year.
"After you have won it twice, you are the target," he said. "We understand that, and we are going to try to set the mark high enough."
Warsaw
With the seasons running together this year, the coaches responsibilities were split for Warsaw and Lisa Ulrey takes over the girls' program this season.
Ulrey was an assistant boys' coach last season for the Tigers, as well as serving as swim and track coach at Manchester High School.
Warsaw will have 30 girls (up from 14 last year) on the swim team this year, led by state qualifer diver Steph Ellis. Last year, Ellis finished in 7th place at the state meet as a junior. In early meets this year, she has looked even better.
"Our first meet we had she scored a 266, which is her second personal best (behind last year's school record)," Ulrey said. "She felt really good about it, because she made a comment that at the meet she set the record, they were scoring kind of high. She felt this was legitimate.
"I see her potential as anything," she said. "She could take state. It takes a lot of work, and she is a hard worker. I know (diving) coach (Kevin) Reed feels really good about her progress."
Also on the Tiger squad this year will be: Buffy Feinstein, Megan Jones, Sarah Krizmanich, Carmen Mock, and Melissa Smith.
"We have a lot of potential," Ulrey said. "We are a very young team. A lot of girls aren't familiar with swimming. They were more recreational and decided to give it a try.
"We did get a lot of freshmen in that had a lot of swim experience," she said. "That has been a shot in the arm for the whole program."
Tippecanoe Valley
The Vikings will have a young roster this season with some new faces in the pool this year.
"We have a lot of new girls this year, and we probably won't be as strong as last year," Valley coach Steve Doerscher said.
Returning will be juniors Eve Boggs, who just missed a school record in the 500 freestyle this year, and Shana Dunnuck.
"I see a lot of improvement from the team this year," Doerscher said.
Manchester
The Squires have a talented group of freshmen on the team, but will be counting on their juniors to lead the way.
Juniors Heidi Yoder, Annie Spangle and Sarah Gilbert return for Manchester. Yoder, a 500 freestyler and backstroker, went to the state meet two years ago and is looking to go back after missing last year with in an illness. Spangle also swims the 500 free, while Gilbert is a breaststroker.
"We have a strong junior class," Manchester girls' coach Jabin Burnworth said. "We have a lot of freshmen who have came in from age group swimming and look good as well."
Two of those freshmen, Hailey Cassel and Nikki McKenzie, look to be at the head of their class.
Boys
Warsaw
After a successful 1995-96 campaign, the Tigers seem to be on the verge for more of the same with 41 swimmers on this year's squad, eight more than last year.
"The numbers are great, and they are so evened out," Warsaw boys' coach Chris LaLonde said.
Warsaw has at least 10 swimmers in each of the four classes.
Among those returners are Alex Wood and Jeremiah Williams, two swimmers with state meet capabilities.
"It is just a real strong team again," LaLonde said. "They have depth to it. It will be another solid team."
Also returning are; Mike McCammon, Nick Briniger (?SP), Nick Wood, Shawn Rubner, Justin Van Laeken, Matt McSwain (?SP) and divers Kevin Cowan, Will Coburn, and Clay Reagan.
Warsaw's goals include winning the two big postseason meets, the Northern Lakes Conference and sectional.
"Our goal is to win NLC and sectional," LaLonde said. "We hope to accomplish that by going 6-0 in the NLC and go into the conference meet and win that too. They are just really excited. They are working real hard, and they are focused on those goals.
"I have been told the Fort Wayne schools will have their own sectional," she said. "That makes ours a little weaker. It will be a challenge between Wawasee and us."
Wawasee
The Warriors will be led this year by a couple of returning Ryans and an exchange student.
Seniors Ryan Harper and Ryan Moore will be back after being in the state meet last year, and Wawasee has added Brazlian exchange student Marcelo Azenha. Azenha led the Warriors' soccer team this year, and is said to be a better swimmer than he is a soccer player.
Harper finished 12th in the breaststroke and Moore was in a relay at the state meet.
"They don't quite have the depth that the (Wawasee) girls' team does," Karns said. "I think the core is there for a good, competitive Wawasee boys' swimming team if our underclassmen will rise to the occasion and fill the spots for 13 graduating seniors last year."
Also returning for the Warriors will be: juniors Kyle Metcalf, Rusty VanLue, breaststroke; Joe Baumgartner, backstroke & freestyle; Dan Cone, freestyle & backstroke; Andrew Thornburg, butterfly & distance freestyle; and Steve Ummel, distance freestyle.
"We don't have five people in each event ready to swim varsity," Karns said. "So, nobody can fall down on their responsibilities."
Tippecanoe Valley
Led by the 1-2 punch of Scott Whetstone and Jason Paris, the Vikings could have some good individual numbers this year, but depth could be again a problem.
Paris looks good this season after missing last year's sectional with a back operation.
"He has look good in practice," Valley coach Steve Doerscher said. "And Whetstone is working real hard."
Also back for the Vikings are Matt Baker and Matt Craig. Charlie Wise is a young swimmer who has had success at the age group level.
"We don't have a lot of depth, but our top 6 or 7 swimmers should score well," Doerscher said.
Manchester
The Squire boys are a little down in terms of total numbers this year with only 12 on the team, but the individuals returning give Manchester a fighting chance in most meets, includling the Three Rivers Conference.
"We are down in terms of numbers, but we have a good group returning," Manchester boys' coach Dave Owens said.
The Squires are led by swimmer Rod Smith, who although just a freshman has shown a lot of potential through age group swimming.
"A lot of success statewide and nationally as an age group swimmer," Owens said. "He comes in as one of our best swimmers as a freshman."
Coming back will be: diver Reed Christiansen, lone senior Josh Niccum, junior co-captain Jeremy Stacy, junior co-captain Charlie Summerland, diver John Sayer, and diver Benji Weller.
"Even though we are small, we don't lose too much from guy to guy," Owens said. "I think we can be pretty competitive in every event. We will be very strong in backstroke, IM, and distance freestyle and diving.
"Right now I feel very good with where we are at," he said. "We are ahead of where we were after two weeks last year. We have already had some pretty decent times. Where we will be at the end of the year, I have no idea."
Owens said as always the two main goals for the team is winning TRC and sending as many swimmers to the state meet as possible.
"Our schedule has changed a little bit, and I think it will help us because we have more time between TRC and sectional," Owens said. "Our sectional has thinned out with the Fort Wayne teams going back to Fort Wayne. It will give more opportunities for some individuals to advance, possibly.
"As far as going beyond sectional, we have four guys who, if their time gets down, possibly go to state," he said. "Smith, Sumerland, Stacy and any of the divers have the potential to get out of sectional." [[In-content Ad]]
Area high school pools are a little bit busier in the winter season with the combination of both the boys' and girls' swim campaigns in the same season.
As expected, the change and fight for pool time as effected the smaller schools more than the larger schools. Warsaw, with the Community Pool, really hasn't been affected nor has Wawasee, which has a pool at the high school and the middle school.
"We have been able to work around it because of our facilities," Warsaw girls' coach Lisa Ulrey said. "Warsaw has an unbelievable pool, and we are fortunate in that respect. Other schools, though, I am sure are struggling with it."
"We have a different situation than most schools around here because we have a pool at the high school also (with meets at the middle school)," Karns said. "We have been moving them back and forth. I take one practice and my assistant takes another."
Schools that don't have those luxuries have had the biggest stumbling blocks in the early part of the season.
"So far, so good," Manchester boys' coach Dave Owens said. "We do some practices combined, so we are all doing the same thing. It is kind of fun having a bigger group. It has its pluses and minuses. My guess is because of the logicistic problems, some day they might make another change. It is not a good sport to have combined."
"It has been kind of rough," Valley boys'/girls' coach Steve Doerscher said. "But we are making the best of it."
And sometimes the combination of the two seasons have other effects.
"We lost some of our girls to gymnastics," Manchester girls' coach Jabin Burnworth said. "It is a drag they had to choose. But I am glad they are doing something."
Here is a look at the area swim teams, so of whom have already started their seasons.
Girls
Wawasee
The two-time defending Northern Lakes Conference champions will be everybody's target this year, but have the talent to defend for a third year.
"While we graduated important swimmers from last year, we return a bulk of our point scorers," Wawasee girls' coach Roger Karns said. "As is always the case, how good they are is determined how much they are willing to commit to being good athletes."
Among the 13 returning letterwinners for the Warriors will be defending sectional champion Stacy Naugler, 2-time NLC breaststroke champ Jennifer Ganshorn and state meet participants Kristine Shivers and Jenny Marty.
"They feel like they can defend the NLC crown," Karns said. "The NLC is always competitive and even more so this year. There are some awful good swimmers in the Northern Lakes Conference this year.
"After you have won it twice, you are the target," he said. "We understand that, and we are going to try to set the mark high enough."
Warsaw
With the seasons running together this year, the coaches responsibilities were split for Warsaw and Lisa Ulrey takes over the girls' program this season.
Ulrey was an assistant boys' coach last season for the Tigers, as well as serving as swim and track coach at Manchester High School.
Warsaw will have 30 girls (up from 14 last year) on the swim team this year, led by state qualifer diver Steph Ellis. Last year, Ellis finished in 7th place at the state meet as a junior. In early meets this year, she has looked even better.
"Our first meet we had she scored a 266, which is her second personal best (behind last year's school record)," Ulrey said. "She felt really good about it, because she made a comment that at the meet she set the record, they were scoring kind of high. She felt this was legitimate.
"I see her potential as anything," she said. "She could take state. It takes a lot of work, and she is a hard worker. I know (diving) coach (Kevin) Reed feels really good about her progress."
Also on the Tiger squad this year will be: Buffy Feinstein, Megan Jones, Sarah Krizmanich, Carmen Mock, and Melissa Smith.
"We have a lot of potential," Ulrey said. "We are a very young team. A lot of girls aren't familiar with swimming. They were more recreational and decided to give it a try.
"We did get a lot of freshmen in that had a lot of swim experience," she said. "That has been a shot in the arm for the whole program."
Tippecanoe Valley
The Vikings will have a young roster this season with some new faces in the pool this year.
"We have a lot of new girls this year, and we probably won't be as strong as last year," Valley coach Steve Doerscher said.
Returning will be juniors Eve Boggs, who just missed a school record in the 500 freestyle this year, and Shana Dunnuck.
"I see a lot of improvement from the team this year," Doerscher said.
Manchester
The Squires have a talented group of freshmen on the team, but will be counting on their juniors to lead the way.
Juniors Heidi Yoder, Annie Spangle and Sarah Gilbert return for Manchester. Yoder, a 500 freestyler and backstroker, went to the state meet two years ago and is looking to go back after missing last year with in an illness. Spangle also swims the 500 free, while Gilbert is a breaststroker.
"We have a strong junior class," Manchester girls' coach Jabin Burnworth said. "We have a lot of freshmen who have came in from age group swimming and look good as well."
Two of those freshmen, Hailey Cassel and Nikki McKenzie, look to be at the head of their class.
Boys
Warsaw
After a successful 1995-96 campaign, the Tigers seem to be on the verge for more of the same with 41 swimmers on this year's squad, eight more than last year.
"The numbers are great, and they are so evened out," Warsaw boys' coach Chris LaLonde said.
Warsaw has at least 10 swimmers in each of the four classes.
Among those returners are Alex Wood and Jeremiah Williams, two swimmers with state meet capabilities.
"It is just a real strong team again," LaLonde said. "They have depth to it. It will be another solid team."
Also returning are; Mike McCammon, Nick Briniger (?SP), Nick Wood, Shawn Rubner, Justin Van Laeken, Matt McSwain (?SP) and divers Kevin Cowan, Will Coburn, and Clay Reagan.
Warsaw's goals include winning the two big postseason meets, the Northern Lakes Conference and sectional.
"Our goal is to win NLC and sectional," LaLonde said. "We hope to accomplish that by going 6-0 in the NLC and go into the conference meet and win that too. They are just really excited. They are working real hard, and they are focused on those goals.
"I have been told the Fort Wayne schools will have their own sectional," she said. "That makes ours a little weaker. It will be a challenge between Wawasee and us."
Wawasee
The Warriors will be led this year by a couple of returning Ryans and an exchange student.
Seniors Ryan Harper and Ryan Moore will be back after being in the state meet last year, and Wawasee has added Brazlian exchange student Marcelo Azenha. Azenha led the Warriors' soccer team this year, and is said to be a better swimmer than he is a soccer player.
Harper finished 12th in the breaststroke and Moore was in a relay at the state meet.
"They don't quite have the depth that the (Wawasee) girls' team does," Karns said. "I think the core is there for a good, competitive Wawasee boys' swimming team if our underclassmen will rise to the occasion and fill the spots for 13 graduating seniors last year."
Also returning for the Warriors will be: juniors Kyle Metcalf, Rusty VanLue, breaststroke; Joe Baumgartner, backstroke & freestyle; Dan Cone, freestyle & backstroke; Andrew Thornburg, butterfly & distance freestyle; and Steve Ummel, distance freestyle.
"We don't have five people in each event ready to swim varsity," Karns said. "So, nobody can fall down on their responsibilities."
Tippecanoe Valley
Led by the 1-2 punch of Scott Whetstone and Jason Paris, the Vikings could have some good individual numbers this year, but depth could be again a problem.
Paris looks good this season after missing last year's sectional with a back operation.
"He has look good in practice," Valley coach Steve Doerscher said. "And Whetstone is working real hard."
Also back for the Vikings are Matt Baker and Matt Craig. Charlie Wise is a young swimmer who has had success at the age group level.
"We don't have a lot of depth, but our top 6 or 7 swimmers should score well," Doerscher said.
Manchester
The Squire boys are a little down in terms of total numbers this year with only 12 on the team, but the individuals returning give Manchester a fighting chance in most meets, includling the Three Rivers Conference.
"We are down in terms of numbers, but we have a good group returning," Manchester boys' coach Dave Owens said.
The Squires are led by swimmer Rod Smith, who although just a freshman has shown a lot of potential through age group swimming.
"A lot of success statewide and nationally as an age group swimmer," Owens said. "He comes in as one of our best swimmers as a freshman."
Coming back will be: diver Reed Christiansen, lone senior Josh Niccum, junior co-captain Jeremy Stacy, junior co-captain Charlie Summerland, diver John Sayer, and diver Benji Weller.
"Even though we are small, we don't lose too much from guy to guy," Owens said. "I think we can be pretty competitive in every event. We will be very strong in backstroke, IM, and distance freestyle and diving.
"Right now I feel very good with where we are at," he said. "We are ahead of where we were after two weeks last year. We have already had some pretty decent times. Where we will be at the end of the year, I have no idea."
Owens said as always the two main goals for the team is winning TRC and sending as many swimmers to the state meet as possible.
"Our schedule has changed a little bit, and I think it will help us because we have more time between TRC and sectional," Owens said. "Our sectional has thinned out with the Fort Wayne teams going back to Fort Wayne. It will give more opportunities for some individuals to advance, possibly.
"As far as going beyond sectional, we have four guys who, if their time gets down, possibly go to state," he said. "Smith, Sumerland, Stacy and any of the divers have the potential to get out of sectional." [[In-content Ad]]