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Shawnee swim out for another WBL title |
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Thursday, 21 December 2006 |
By DREW T. DORNER
Staff Writer
SHAWNEE — Nine years, nine league championships — some coaches would call that a dynasty. But for the Shawnee Indians swimming team and their coach, there is still plenty more to accomplish.
“It might sound like a dynasty, but those nine championships are for boys and girls combined,” varsity coach Jeff Brown said. “As a teacher, that’s still only 50 percent, and 50 percent is not passing in the classroom.”
In the past six years, the Shawnee girls team has proved unstoppable, taking each league title from 2001 to 2006.
The boys have also performed strongly, taking league championships in 2000, 2001, and 2006.
Brown said the difference in the number of championships results mostly from swimming’s greater popularity among girls.
“Swimming tends to be more popular for girls,” Brown said. “There are two divisions because of the number of girls in swimming, but for boys there is just one.”
Brown said it is harder for male swimmers to advance to state meets because all male swimmers are grouped into one division, while the girls are grouped in half.
But Brown said he and his team do not fret about state championships — it is the WBL championship which matters most to Indian swimming.
“From day one, I’m pounding ‘WBL’ into my team’s brains,” Brown said. “We aim at the WBL being our biggest meet of the yea. Our first goal is to win the league, and after that we worry about people qualifying for districts and state.”
Brown said his team’s potential for success is somewhat limited despite their nine league championships due to their practice facilities.
“We practice for an hour and a half a day in a 4-lane pool at the old YWCA,” Brown said. “There is no time for stretching or things we should do because we have to make the best use of the pool. And you know after a day of high school, it can be hard for kids to get their head geared for an hour and a half of swimming.”
Brown remains optimistic about his team’s practice facility, however, and said his team might have the chance during the 2006-2007 season to practice at Lima’s newer YMCA.
As Shawnee’s trophy collection grows, so does their popularity, Brown said.
“We started off with 16 swimmers nine years ago, and I’m up to where I have 35, which is just about the maximum,” he said. “Shawnee’s on the upswing, but for us to get bigger than we are, it would take another pool.”
He added his up and coming girls teams appear promising.
“I can go down the year books for the middle school, and it seems like we’ll be well-endowed with girls swimmers for years to come. It looks promising for us.”
Brown also spoke on the community’s support for swimming.
“As far as support, we have an excellent athletic booster system that gets us what we need,” he said. “They’re there financially, and the parents are at meets, but as far as the school knowing what’s going on, if you stopped the average kid in the hallway, I’m not sure they would know much.”
Though Brown admitted it is not the most popular sport in the school, Shawnee swimmers enjoy participating in the program.
“I’ve liked swimming,” Shawnee senior swimmer Morgan Diglia said. “It’s been a good experience. We work really hard, but at the same time we’re always having fun.”
Diglia said it is the team’s work ethic, along with some natural ability, that leads them to the championship year after year.
The senior butterfly and individual medley swimmer said the Shawnee girls can wrap up another league title this year.
“We lost a lot of seniors, but I still think it can be done,” Diglia said. |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 23 December 2006 )
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