Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current, December 03, 2021, Page 20, Image 20

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    PAGE A20, KEIZERTIMES, DECEMBER 03, 2021
McNary swim will rely on seniors to lead small roster
IN THE
Zander Rhoades is expected to be one of the leaders for the McNary swim team this season
FILE PHOTO, Keizertimes
NEWS
TIPS?
Pet
P
e
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hap
pens
Pool
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
With more than 70 student-ath-
letes on the roster, the McNary swim
program was beginning to build on a
solid foundation after the 2020 season.
But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit,
head coach Casey Lewin felt that the
squad lost some of their momentum.
“That was defi nitely hard to swal-
low. We were really making strides as
a program. Our girls relay team could
have been a district champion, top fi ve
in state, type of team. But that’s the
way it shook out. It wasn’t just us that
was aff ected by it. We’re all in the boat
together,” Lewin said.
With the entire 2021 spring short-
ened season featuring just exhibition
races, several McNary upperclassmen
elected to not participate last season.
Although the swim team has about
30 less athletes in the program, Lewin
thinks having a smaller crew will help
his kids develop faster in the 2021-22
campaign.
“When you have that big of a team
practicing on six lanes, it can be hard
to get things done. It's much more
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