Usually, there isn’t much going on at Middletown High School on a Saturday morning at 8 a.m. However, at the MHS swimming pool, it is anything but uneventful. The girls swimming team can be found in the water, practicing diligently for the upcoming season. The Knights are coming off a successful 2007-2008 season; they finished with a 9-5 record, won the regional championship, and culminated the year with a state championship win.
The defending state champions have lost several talented swimmers from last year’s team due to graduation; however, they welcome back a strong core of 16 returning swimmers, as well as some promising new faces.
Coach Stacy MacMillan said, “It is a rebuilding year, since we lost eight seniors. Yet, the returnees have shifted their goals, and will step up to the plate.”
Those returnees include seniors Robin Conley and Anna Verdi, who were elected captains. Conley said of her new position, “I have more responsibility and I’m taking more of a leadership role than I have in the past.”
Conley expressed confidence in her team. “Our team has a really good work ethic, everyone tries to do their best to always improve,” she added.
MacMillan, who is entering her tenth season as head coach, has also been impressed with the team’s willingness to improve and their team camaraderie. She said, “the girls want to improve. They are always teaching and helping each other out, and pushing each other to do better.”
Junior Katelyn Rossick is a key returning swimmer, who is looking to add to an impressive sophomore season. She received first place during last year’s state championship in the 100 freestyle, 200 individual medley, and was a member of the winning 400 freestyle relay team. She also currently holds several school records.
“It’s going to be hard to build on winning states next year. We’ll have to take it one step at a time,” Rossick said. However, she looks forward to the challenge of defending a state title and “watching the girls improve” as the season progresses.
Frederick, Thomas Johnson, and Urbana generally are MHS’s biggest competition, but the team certainly isn’t overlooking any of the other teams in the county. Due to the individual nature of the sport, there are always going to be strong members of other teams who will be competing for the best time.
When facing tough opponents it’s helpful to have a deep team, which MHS definitely has, due to the addition of many new swimmers to the roster. Freshman Chelsea Rossick, junior Samantha Lilley, and sisters Georgie and Pippa Hatch have all shown potential, and will help fill in some of the holes caused by the departure of last year’s seniors.
MacMillan has many aspirations for the 2008-2009 MHS girls swimming team.
“I want all the girls to become versatile swimmers, achieve their personal swimming goals, and strengthen their techniques. But most importantly, I want them to continue to enjoy swimming,” MacMillan said.