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In an interview Tuesday afternoon, Warsaw boys swim coach Chris LaLonde was asked the same question at least five different ways. And five different ways she answered the question the same.
The question: Who is the favorite to win this year's Wawasee Sectional?
LaLonde's answer: Warsaw, of course.
The Tigers enter Thursday's preliminary round of the sectional with an 11-1 record. Warsaw's lone loss came Jan. 15, an 111-75 decision to Northern Lakes Conference rival Northridge, a team that swam to a 6-0 record in the NLC.
LaLonde listed Warsaw, Bremen and Wawasee to finish one, two, three.
A year ago it was Bremen swimming to the sectional championship, with 10 points the distance between it and the second-place Tigers.
How close will it be this year, LaLonde was asked.
"Ten to 15 (points), if we swim the way we have and improve after our taper," said LaLonde, her sixth year with the Tigers.
This is how the Tigers have been swimming - against the four sectionals oppenents they've faced this year, Huntington North, Wawasee, Plymouth and Tippecanoe Valley, Warsaw has won by an average score of 122.3-63.
Given that, LaLonde was asked what part of the season the Tigers have swam their best.
"I don't think they've hit their peak yet," said LaLonde. "We swam real well after Christmas, but then went down for the conference. I hope we can go back up after our rest."
In her sixth year, LaLonde has one sectional championship, and her team has been runner-up on two occasions.
The Tigers last won the sectional championship in 1997-98.
Asked what Warsaw's strength might be in this week's sectional, LaLonde said: "Our relays are strong, so is the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle."
Just how strong are Warsaw's relay teams?
The Tigers' 200 freestyle relay team of Adam Helfrich, Brett Moore, Jason Sibray and Justin Lowrance shattered the school record with a first-place time of 1:31.13 Feb. 1 against Fort Wayne Snider.
The interesting thing here - this is not Warsaw's normal 200 freestyle relay team. According to LaLonde, she put the quartet together for Senior Night festivities.
LaLonde lists Kiel Beehler, David Wildman, Brandon Moore, John Sincroft and Lowrance as being intregal parts in Warsaw's search for a sectional championship.
The Wawasee Sectional preliminaries begin Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Wawasee Middle School. The sectional field consists of Warsaw, Bremen, Culver Military Academy, Huntington North, Manchester, Rochester, Plymouth, Tippecanoe Valley, Triton and Wawasee.
