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Tigers Turning The Tide, Preparing For State

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Alexis Hollar, Katy Taylor, Lindsay Munsch, Melissa Dick.

Remember those names.

And don't forget Bethany Bayne, Allison Cook, Kayla Durcholz, Jayln Haughee, Tracy Thallemer and Karli Slater.

All are underclassmen and all are members of the Warsaw Tigers girls swim team that captured its first sectional title in school history. In fact, 26 swimmers will be returning to next year's team.

In a town where basketball is king, the tide is beginning to turn.

At WCHS, the non-revenue or "minor" sports are showing how valuable they are in terms of earning hardware.

Golf, soccer and tennis are churning out sectional championships and standout athletes.

But perhaps nowhere is such a renaissance taking place than at the WCHS pool. The boys having been making waves for a few years, but now it's the girls' turn.

It took nine years, but head coach Terry Aukeman was able to preside over a girls sectional championship.

The Tigers lapped the field and used their unmatched depth, beating second-place Culver Girls Academy 363-269.

Warsaw also will make history by sending a record number of swimmers to the Indiana Natatorium on the campus of IUPUI in Indianapolis Friday for the Indiana State Swim Championships.

The 200 medley relay of Hollar, Munsch, Taylor and Dick is going to make the two-hour trip down south for a chance to bring home some more hardware. Hollar will also compete in the 50 freestyle.

Haughee and Munsch will join Thallemer and senior Becca Noggle in the 200 freestyle relay.

Noggle is competing in the 100 and 200 freestyle while being a part of the 200 and 400 freestyle relay.

"It's just all about fun. It's not like we have to get top anything," said Noggle of her team's mindset.

But these girls aren't just happy to be competing. They have a specific number in mind.

"Last year we were so close that it'd be nice to get in the top 16," said Dick

This is the year this squad may bring home more than a top 16 finish.

While the talent is evident, the long hours spent in the pool and with each other have really paid off.

The team, almost to a swimmer, says that Christmas break practices were some of the more unpleasant times in an otherwise near-perfect season. They did pay off, however, during a tough stretch in January with conference meets against Wawasee, Concord and perennial power Northridge.

While most high school kids spend Christmas break lying around, the swim teams, both boys and girls, spent late December mornings swimming 10,000 yards worth of laps.

And while many on the team prefer not to think about that time, it bonded a group that has taken the personality of their coach.

They're all quick to laugh and don't seem fazed by the big stage of a state championship meet.

"It's a pretty good group. They're pretty easy going. I know they're probably going to swim well when they're having fun," said Aukeman. "That's the way I am. I'm pretty easy going but can get serious when we have too."

The axiom that attitude reflects leadership rings true.

Aukeman, who is originally from Grand Rapids, Mich., didn't really begin swimming until his senior year of high school. After moving to Warsaw, Aukeman got involved with coaching at the YMCA for the club swim team.

And it's at the YMCA where Aukeman first coached many of these swimmers as 7- and 8-year olds.

Aukeman has watched them grow up, to a point. This is still a pretty green group.

With a team that is so young, just the experience of going to state can do nothing but help.

"It's a good experience. There are some girls who have never even been to this pool before and experience a state championship meet. And for the girls who have been down there before, see how they respond to the challenge," said Aukeman.

And the team is bounding with youthful optimism for the future.

"It's great knowing we have more years to shave off more time and hopefully get more events in the top three," said Hollar.

While this may be a young group, they have already learned the time-honored art of sports superstition. Theirs involves a blue cap among other things.

The team has adopted the motto of "Nothing but blue will do," in reference to the color of the first-place ribbon.

If all goes well this weekend, the Tigers may be seeing blue while leaving the rest of the field feeling blue.