The amplifier., February 01, 2009, Page 11, Image 11

****
#2009
11
Swimmers post best results heading into Districts
C hristopher E rbin
Staff Reporter
With another new coach
this year and the continued
struggle to find pool space, the
Swim Team has been working
to find consistency. Although
the no cut policy allows
swimmers of all talent levels
to participate, it also causes
greater challenges such as
how to put over 60 swimmers
in the water during the team’s
limited pool time.
"The swim program has
had six different coaches in
the ten years that I have been
the Athletic Director," Rob
Holstrom, Athletic Director,
said. "Job and career conflicts
have been the main reason
we have had the turnover
in coaching positions with
regards to the swim program."
But the biggest obstacle the
team has faced this year is the
lack of pool time according
to new Head Coach Phoebe
Skinner. The no cut policy
resulted in as many as 75
swimmers at the beginning
of the season having to
share one pool. This forces
swimmers into crowed lanes
as swimmers circle swim
(swim clockwise around the
lane) with up to 12 swimmers
in a lane.
"It is difficult that we
have no pool in West Linn.
Therefore we have to travel
for each and every practice
and meet," Holstrom said.
"Pool time is very difficult to
get, which also means that the
time of day for practice has
Snow teams hit slopes
instead, the snow stayed cold
Staff Reporter
and solid. Martus took fourth
place overall and McNabb was
The Memorial Cato Race
sixth for the girls while Ramsey
marked a fun way to start
placed second for the boys.
the season for the Ski Team.
"It was beautiful weather.
The race, w hich does not
We were able to have lunch
count for any points,
outside. It was so unexpected
gave racers the
for the middle of January,"
opportunity to
Martus said.
warm up for
During the
the season—
Jan.
while dressed
24 Slalom
-
m
competition, Martus
once again lead the
costumes. Alec Ramsey,
girls' team by taking
sophomore, in the
"I
fourth place, and
Slalom ski race on
e dressed
■
Ramsey lead
Jan. 17. Ramsey finished
up as
second for the Boys' Varsity
the
Minnie
Team. Photo submitted by Paul Ramsey
boys
Mouse.
with a third
It was super fun,"
place finish.
Emily McNabb, freshman, said.
Martus took home her first
As the season begins, it is
victory of the season for the
clear that it will not be entirely
girls during the Jan. 3.1 Slalom
fun, however. The Boys’ Varsity
race, and Ramsey finished
Team took a blow when David
second once again for the boys.
Hinton, the Slalom state
The Snowboarding Team’s
champion, made the decision
first meet was Jan. 17 with
not to race this year.
the Men’s Individual Banked
"I am taking time off to free
Slalom competitors sweeping
ski and take more of a relaxed
the field. Jordan Reyes, senior,
winter this year. It is hard to
placed first, Tanner Kewley,
travel and do well in school at
senior, placed second, Joseph
the same time," Hinton, senior,
McMillan, junior, placed third
said.
and Zakary Gertlar, senior,
Although Hinton was a
placed fourth.
key competitor for the team,
The Women's Individual
returners include Alexander
Banked Slalom also saw strong
Otey, senior, Sean Campbell,
performances from Gabrielle
junior, and Alec Ramsey,
Estey, freshman, who placed
sophomore.
third, and Hayley Shafer,
"It was an unfortunate loss.
senior, who placed fourth.
Hopefully the boys’ team can
The mens' team did very
pull together so we can make
well in the competition with
State like last year," Ramsey
Reyes, Kewley, McMillan and
said.
Gertlar placing first in the team
The team's first league
race.
event was a Giant Slalom
In the Jan. 24 slopestyle
race at Ski Bowl on Jan. 10
competition, strong
where Madeleine Martus took
performances were turned in
sixth for the girls and Sean
Campbell, junior, took tenth for by Gertlar, who placed fifth,
and Kewley, who finished in
the boys.
sixth place. Shafer placed third
Quickly following was a
for the girls.
Slalom race at Meadows on
The Half Pipe competition
Jan. 17, when the weather was
on Jan. 31 went well for the
quite exceptional in ski season
Lions, with McMillen and
terms—it was 50 degrees and
Kewley finishing fourth and
very sunny. Often, days like
fifth, respectively, for the boys
this means extra work from
and Shafer and Estey placing
^ae coaches and gate judges,
second and third, respectively,
^ ^ lo have to smooth around
for the girls.
the gates and salt the snow. But
J ackie S teeh
been in the evenings, which
has created another hardship
for both coaches and athletes."
This year the team was
able to secure time at Portland
Community College, Sylvania
Campus, in the afternoons two
days a week, and hold a few
Saturday morning practices at
Lewis & Clark College.
In addition, the arrival of
a new coach with ¡policies
that differ from those in
the past, has at times led to
disagreement between the
coaching staff and some
swimmers as the team tries
finds a new balance, according
to Skinner.
A lot of the issues can
be attributed to a first-year
coach and the transition of
a coaching staff and their
coaching styles," Holstrom
said. "Programs typically
experience growing pains
as this happens as coaches
attempt to change habits from
past programs and athletes
get used to new styles and
demands."
While the season started
out with mixed results, the
team appears to be peaking
at the right time heading
into the District Meet which
will be held at Lake Oswego
High School Swim Center.
The competition begins today
with prelims at 2 p.m. and
continues tomorrow with
finals at 2 p.m.
The boys head into Districts
having recorded extremely
close meets with their two
toughest rivals—an 86-80 loss
to Lake Oswego on Jan. 20 and
a 73-69 victory over Lakeridge
on Jan 29.
At the Lakeridge meet,
the 200 Medley Relay team
of Gunnar Wolfe, freshman,
Arthur To, sophomore, Kevin
Sellers, junior, and Brian
Laderoute, senior,, won the
meet’s first event and set the
tone for what would be one
of the boys' most impressive
performances to date. Sellers
and Laderoute came back to
win races later in the meet,
with Sellers taking the 200
Individual Medely with a time
of 2:17.08, while Laderoute
won the 100 breastroke in
1:15.33.
Many races came down to
the last second, as many Lion
swimmers were beat by less
than a second. The team of
To, Sellers, Hans Farnbach,
senior, and Donevan Karr,
sophomore, capped off the
day for the Lions, recording
a first place finish in the 400
Freestyle Relay. The boys'
season ended with a league
record of 4-2.
The girls' team finished the
season with an even 3-3 split,
also turning some standout
performances against
Lakeridge. Against the Pacers,
Jessica Broberg, sophomore,
placed first in the 100 Butterfly
with a time of 1:09.37. She
later come back to place third
in the 100 Backstroke, as the
Lions dominated the event
with Josie Sells, senior, taking
first and McCrae, junior,
completing the sweep by
finishing second. Sells also
recorded her best time of the
season in the 200 Individual
Medley, claiming second
place.
"I believe it's performances
like these that show this team
is growing. I think we will
have a very strong showing at
District with the potential of
qualifying swimmers for the
State Championship," Skinner
said.
Skinner, who swam at
Lewis & Clark College and
has been teaching swim for 16
years, joined the team this fall
with a respectable reputation
for coaching at various clubs
throughout the Portland area
for the past sevemyears. It is
her first experience coaching
at a high school.
"I have worked to explain
to swimmers the reasoning
behind the strokes—why
certain swimming techniques
work, and why others do
not. In the pool I expect my
swimmers to demonstrate a
positive attitude and work
hard every length they swim;
this may mean physical
exertion, mental focus, or
a combination of the two,"
Skinner said.
Pool time isn't the only
challenge the team has faced
this season. Swimmers have
missed practices and violated
team policies, resulting
in Varsity competitors
sitting out of events. Some
swimmers have not always
been put into their strongest
events which has caused
some frustration on the team.
"It is no small task with 64
swimmers and only 34 events
per meet to place swimmers.
I do my best to place each in
his or her desired event. I had
all of the swimmers turn in
a list ranking their favorite
races, and I use this to help
determine who swims what,"
Skinner said. "Junior Varsity
swimmers occasionally
race in Varsity events. This
happens most often when I
have an open lane in a Varsity
event due to illness."
"She just has a very
different approach to
coaching, one that we are not
used to," Hayley McCrae,
junior, said. "She believes in
enjoying swimming more
than the competition aspect,
but we also want to win."
"I find that there are some
swimmers who have been
able to discover strengths
they did not know they had
as a result of this system,"
Skinner said. "As we hone
in on the District Meet
swimmers will be swimming
their best events at almost
every meet."
Although the season is
not over yet, Skinner is also
looking ahead to next year.
"I hope the team starts
of with a strong sense of
discipline and builds on the
skills they have learned this
year," Skinner said. "I believe
we will have a large number
of returners to provide a
strong base for next season."
Wrestlers prosper despite setbacks
N C ummins -
Staff Reporter
With the Wrestling Team
entering the final half of
the season, recent weather
has left the Lions at a
disadvantage. The snow
storm forced cancelation of
school followed by Winter
Break w hich resulted in
postponing the first dual
meet against Oregon City and
cancelling the tournament in
Canby. These setbacks put
the Lions three weeks behind
schedule.
In the Pac's Coast
championship held on Jan. 2
at Hudson Bay High School,
the Lions were not only up
against tough competition
but were also behind in
practice and conditioning.
W hile the wrestlers had
Andrew Kim, senior, looks for the takedown against Roseburg's
Chayse Jackson in the 119 lbs. weight class at the Crater Classic. Both
Kim and the team took third in the tourney.
Photo by Trade Krellwitz
competed in three matches,
their opponents had
competed in 16. Despite
this, the Lions held strong
and managed to win at least
one match against every
opponent.
l i l
continued on page 12