IR swim team shocks Lake Forest in final home meet of the year

With two meets on the road still left in the regular season, Indian River High Schol’s varsity boys’ and girls’ swim teams are a steady stride ahead of last year’s performance. In just the program’s fourth year, athletes are surpassing previous records as personal bests are consistently being shattered.

Coastal Point • R. Chris Clark
Indian River freshman Keaton Burke pierces through the water in a butterfly event last Wednesday, against Lake Forest. The Indians' boys' team captured their fifth win of the season, as the girls scooped up their second victory of the year.

Last Wednesday’s win, on Jan. 18, over Seaford improved the boys’ team to 5-2 on the year so far – a substantial upgrade from last season’s 2-5 record. Meanwhile, the girls’ team, which last year saw their first win since the program started in 2008, have already picked up two victories in this year’s schedule, with swimmers continuing to show promise.

“The nice thing about the meet against Seaford was that we had all of our female swimmers back,” said Indian River girls’ head coach Donna Smith. “Our roster was full. All 14 swimmers were back and healthy.”

Included in the lineup was freshman Madison Hastings, whose broken foot early in the season forced her to watch most of the year from the edge of the pool.

“It was great to have Madison back with the team,” Smith added. “It really made a difference for our team.”

The girls cruised to a 98-66 victory over Lake Forest, with help coming from across the lineup. Junior Rebecca Webb finished first in the 200-meter freestyle, with a 2:35.40 and a time of 1:15.55 in the 100-meter backstroke. Sophomore Karlie Smith clocked a 1:18.44 in the 100-meter backstroke and a 1:02.39 in the 100-meter freestyle for first-place finishes against the Spartans.

Natalie Gano’s 1:22.48 in the 100-meter butterfly and Marissa Fox’s 28.87 swim in the 50-meter freestyle also secured top finishes in their respected events. Sueng Son, Fox, Smith and Webb strung together a record-breaking performance in the 200-meter medley relay with a time of 2:10.43, while Alison Jennings, Fox, Son and Smith came in first in the 200-meter freestyle relay, as well, with a time of 2:04.97.

“We still have a few pockets here and there,” said coach Donna Smith, “but with a full roster, I was pretty much able to fill all the lanes. Being able to put more swimmers in the water really makes a difference for us. The program’s success is all about baby steps, but we’re coming along.”

The performance of Indian Rivers’ girls’ team foretells plenty of potential for the future, as there are no seniors in this year’s lineup.

“We’ve got some juniors on the team,” said Smith, “but the rest are freshmen and sophomores. Next year, everyone should be returning, and we should have some strong swimmers coming up from the middle school, as well. I’ve also heard from some swimmers who weren’t on the team this year but competed in the past. We’ve had a great season so far, and we should be pretty successful next year, too.”

The girls’ performances in the relay events have displayed the team’s ability to gel a variety of personalities together.

“People know swimming as mainly an individual sport,” said Smith, “but it takes a team effort to fill the lanes. Relays are worth a lot of points, and if you can get more bodies in the pool, it’s going to help you in the end. It’s a shared effort, and the girls are really coming on strong. They are all very competitive when they get out there.”

The girls’ 400-meter freestyle team of Aubrey Seeley, Kirsten Goodman, Ashleigh White and Webb has shown progress, despite missing a first-place finish against Lake Forest.

“I’m really proud of that team,” said Smith. “It’s the last event of each competition, and it’s not a favorite for most swimmers, but these girls push themselves each time and take it very seriously.”

The boys defeated the Spartans in Wednesday’s meet, 97-70, gaining their fifth victory of the season.

“We had a really good swim out of Carter Michael in the 200-meter individual medley,” said Indian Rivers’ boys’ coach, Colin Crandell. “He’s now in the top 10 times in the state. We’re seeing continuing progress out of guys like Ben Boonin, too, who made the state cut in the 100-meter fly.

“Everyone’s still dropping times, despite being tired when they swim. That’s showing me that they can perform, even under fatigue. The endurance is definitely there,” he emphasized. “Guys like Carter and Merrick [Kovatch] are continuing to come through when we need them to, and are putting up some great points for us.”

While the boys’ team boasts several seniors, swimmers including Joost and Kees Elling, Michael, Kovatch and Boonin suggest depth for seasons to come, rounding out some of the younger names on the roster.

Indian River’s swim team will head to the Central Delaware YMCA for their next two meets, where they were scheduled to face Caesar Rodney on Thursday, Jan. 26, (after Coastal Point press time) and Dover High on Thursday, Feb. 2. While both opponents pull a lineup from a much larger draw of student athletes, both Crandell and Smith are hoping for continuing success.

“Without looking at the size of their team,” said Colin, “Caesar Rodney’s roster is pretty much a mirror image of us. Even though we have fewer swimmers, I think we can win this meet, based on our recent performance. We’re really focused on winning out this season before the conference meet on Feb. 11.”

Both Smith and Crandell have asked their athletes to return to the goals they had set earlier in the year.

“We’ve asked our swimmers to think about those goals from earlier in the year,” said Smith, “and decide if they need to change them or set new ones. We’re continuing to reach for those personal goals, which may mean trying a new event.”

Karlie Smith, for example, who has already qualified for states in several events, is shy of the 100-meter freestyle state cut by only 0.1 second. Donna Smith added that competitive swimmers in the lanes beside her could push her over that extra hump.

In recent weeks, the coaches have implemented the use of an underwater camera, purchased with the help and support of athletes’ parents. The footage has given coaches and swimmers the chance to look at strokes and turns from a new perspective, in hopes of tweaking and fine-tuning their moves to shave seconds off of their events.

“The underwater camera helps us really look at the nitty-gritty,” said Smith. “There’s a lot we can still work on, but it’s definitely been a big help.”