Chowing down at MHS 'Throwdown' - My High School Journalism

Page 11 Sports
Girls swimming dives into a new season
by Cheyenne Michaels
Howler Staff
After winning the league title last year, the
Monarch girls swimming and diving team will
be swimming through uncharted waters.
The 36 athletes find themselves in a new
Front Range league this year, including rivals
Fairview and Boulder. With the new additions,
they can expect harder workouts and a
tougher season overall.
Traditionally, Fairview and Boulder have
finished in the top 10 in the state.
Previously, Fairview and Boulder were in
the Centennial League. But, the Centennial
League wanted to be a strictly South Denver
league, and Fairview, Boulder, and Mountain
Senior Audie Balue dives into the Lousiville Recreation Center pool during a morning practice.
All Monarch
Slope-goers
Skiers
50 %
Snowboarders
Range are more northern. Therefore, they will
be moving into the Front Range League this
year. For the Monarch swimmers, this means
more aerobic base workouts and a lot of longdistance
swimming to start out the season at
their 5 a.m. practices, Monday-Friday.
“Swim team physically kills us,” junior
swimmer Kaity Wegen said. “I’m dreading
the really hard workouts.”
Head coach Jay Weerman says the swimmers
and divers are working harder to get a
leg up on the tougher competition.
“It’s going to be a really tough league
champions meet,” Weerman said. “Four of
the top 10 teams in the state are going to be
there.”
Monarch’s team goal , according to Weer-
50 %
Of all the students surveyed 47 said they were snowboarders
and 47 said they were skiers.
Photo by Cheyenne Michaels
The war between skiers
and snowboarders
has waged since
the creation of snowboards.
But which
side are MHS’s students
fighting for?
man, will be to place in the top
two at leagues and top 10 at
state.
“Our girls are excited to defend
the title. That will be a huge driving
force for the team,” Weerman
said.
The swimmers and divers have
a wide variety of outlooks on the
coming season.
“Our new league makes me
sad. I have the faintest glimmer
of hope,” Wegen said.
Other swimmers have a more
optimistic view of the upcoming
season.
“I think we have a good chance
in our league this season. We
have a lot of swimmers and divers
this year,” said senior Whitney
Fletcher, who will be both
swimming and diving for the
first time for Monarch this season.
“Maybe with the new freshman class and
the coach’s strategy, we can beat Fairview
and Boulder,” sophomore swimmer Caellagh
Morrissey said.
The team has nine new members, including
Blair Kacynski, a club swimmer who already
has state qualifying times, as well as
freshman swimmer Teylor Greff.
“I already know lots of the other new swimmers
and divers, and the ones I don’t know
seem really outgoing and friendly,” Greff
said. “The upperclassmen are really encouraging
and throughout the season we’ll get to
know them better.”
“I really love how close we all have become
to one another,” Wegen added.
Photo by Cheyenne Michaels
A Monarch swim coach explains the next workout set to the Monarch swimmers.
The family nature has always been a trademark
of the Monarch girls swimming and
diving team. Spaghetti dinners before home
meets, team cheers, and a “Big Fish/Little
Fish” tradition where upperclassmen are
paired with underclassmen to cheer for each
other and exchange gifts help create this environment.
“I remember thinking, ‘I’m never going to
fit into this group,’ but everyone warmed up
really quickly and it became a great experience,”
Morrissey said.
With a friendly environment, a strong set
of returning swimmers, a talented bunch of
newcomers and a rough workout plan ahead,
the girls swimming and diving team is ready
for an exciting season.
To ski or not to ski? Do Monarch students ski or snowboard?
Freshmen
Both
3%
Neither
26%
Snowboard
42%
Ski
29%
Sophomores
Neither
17%
Both
13%
Snowboard
22%
Ski
48%
Neither
21%
Juniors
Both
12%
Snowboard
29%
Ski
38%
Neither
37%
Seniors
Both
9%
Ski
37%
Snowboard
17%
The newspaper staff administered
this survey to 100 students
in November 2008. The results of
this survey are not valid or reliable
nor do they reflect the opinions of
the newspaper staff or BVSD employees.
Poll results compiled by
Howler staff member Ariel Lewis.