Swimmers Facing Large Odds

When Valley, Manchester and Wawasee girls swimmers compete at the state meet this weekend, all will be considered major underdogs to just make it to the second day of competition on Saturday. But for those that have made it this far, it's not just about winning, but being in the atmosphere and the realization of life-long goals.

"We don't expect to get through (to Saturday's finals)," Valley head coach Steve Doerscher, who is taking his 400 freestyle relay team, said. "I told the girls to just get their times down and try to improve and have a little fun doing it."

For Doerscher's four swimmers, this is their first time being there. For senior Eve Boggs, it signals the end of her career at Valley. For the other three, Amber Drudge, Hilary Vanlaningham and Kyleigh Gast, it is just the beginning. They are all freshmen.

"I want them to improve," Doerscher said. "We've got three freshmen there, so it's great experience being down there. Of course, this is Eve's last shot. I don't want them to go down there just to say they're there. I want them to gain something from it."

Wawasee, as usual, will send the most swimmers to the state meet of any area school, six. The Warriors will compete in six events. Wawasee head coach Roger Karns will take a combination of youth and experience to the meet.

"(The swimmers) bring some state meet experience with them," Karns said. "Even some of our younger kids, sophomores like Laura Lundin, have very extensive club experience and have been in big meet situations a number of times. For the most part, we're taking a pretty experienced crew down there. Seniors like Jenny Marty, who have been there frequently, are a benefit to the team."

Wawasee does have one relay team that is not in the slow heat. The 200 freestyle relay team will swim in lane eight in the second fastest of four heats. That is one spot where Karns feels that his team could move on to Saturday's swim.

"We have some races there that if we swim the way we're capable of swimming, we stand a pretty good chance of advancing to Saturday night, although it doesn't look like that on the seeds."

Karns explained how some of the top swimmers freeze up in a big meet such as that, while underdogs don't have the pressure and can be relaxed and swim their best.

"Our relays could and should be faster and will be. I think the same is true in some individual events if we get down there and are focused. It's hard to say down there: that meet does some impressive things to you sometimes with adrenaline."

Even though Karns wants his swimmers to enjoy the meet, he also has goals for his swimmers and they have goals for themselves.

"They've got goals for this meet," Karns said. "It depends more on how they swim than where they place. If they meet their goals, then they'll place well."

Manchester will take Heidi Yoder to the state meet after she won the 100 backstroke at the Warsaw Sectional. Yoder was a No. 1 seed in two events at the sectional, and Squires' head coach Abby Zerkel talked about how she wanted to see Yoder move to the state meet.

The swimming prelims begin today at 6 p.m. in Indianapolis.

State Girls Swimming Meet

Area Swimmers

200 medley relay - Wawasee

50 freestyle - Laura Lundin (Wawasee)

100 butterfly - Jenny Marty (Wawasee)

100 freestyle - Laura Karns (Wawasee)

500 freestyle - Jenny Marty (Wawasee)

200 freestyle relay - Wawasee

100 backstroke - Heidi Yoder (Manchester)

400 freestyle relay - Valley