From the Bottom Up

Dripping wet and exhausted from a grueling Carmel Swim Club practice, Claudia Sherman's eyes began to sparkle and a smile appeared on the youngster's face. "Once we get to high school, we're going to rock," the 12-year-old said, referring to her age group within the club. "To know I could help contribute to those state wins someday, it really encourages me to stick with it." Those "state wins" are Carmel's 22 straight Indiana High School Athletic Association girls swimming championships. The Greyhounds, who tied the national record last year for consecutive state titles in a girls sport, hope to break the record this month at the IHSAA swimming and diving state finals. Although the high school team gets much of the attention, people close to the program are quick to point out the Carmel Swim Club's ability to produce talented, new swimmers for the Greyhounds every year. With membership at nearly 400 boys and girls, ranging in ages from 5 to 18, the club serves as an elite feeder system. Each year, a fresh group of experienced swimmers enters high school ready to contribute, allowing the Greyhounds to replace their graduated seniors and maintain their depth at every position. "If girls have come through our (club) program, they're usually ready for the next step and can handle the things necessary to be successful as a high school athlete," said Chris Plumb, who coaches the high school and club teams in Carmel. "They're going to be more prepared for the workload and expectations." Along with thorough coaching instruction, the club tries to inspire its young swimmers with a positive and encouraging attitude. By the time members reach high school, they're generally equipped with the talent and work ethic to succeed. "That's really a testament to the coaching staff and board of directors for keeping a great vision of excellence," said Chris Webb, an age-group coach at the Carmel Swim Club. "Having a large number of kids is good, but having great instruction is equally as important. Our club is focused on getting better, not just bigger." Club president Paul Stauder gave credit to the past coaches and swimmers for creating a lasting tradition. "It's been so well set up and organized over the years. I don't want to say it's a machine, but it's almost like a self-sustaining entity," Stauder said. "From the ground up, the Carmel Swim Club was built the right way." The club's success has paid big dividends for the Greyhounds, especially on the girls' side. Carmel senior Jessie Hammes and junior Trish Regan, both high school and club swimmers, entered the high school season with extra confidence after qualifying for the Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb., last summer. Regan, the defending high school state champion in the 200-yard freestyle, believes the Carmel Swim Club allows members to stay focused in the summer and fall leading into the high school season. She joined the club at 10 years old. "We never forget what we're working toward," she said. "We always have tasks ahead of us, and the excitement helps push us through those hard times when we're not swimming high school." Hammes, a favorite to win the state's backstroke title, remembers pushing herself to the limit when she joined the club eight years ago. Her driving force was to be a high school swimmer. "I saw what the older girls were doing and I couldn't wait until I was a freshman," said Hammes, a Stanford University recruit. "You have a sense of purpose when you're in the club, and you're preparing to eventually swim high school. It's definitely a major goal to see the high schoolers and look up to them." Plumb rarely discusses the girls' high school winning streak with club members, but he knows it can be a source of motivation for them. "That's certainly the unique part of what we have going on, and the kids are excited," he said. "It shows our young athletes if they come to practice and work hard, they can be part of something great." Club member Lacey Locke, an eighth grader at Carmel Middle School, has been dreaming about winning a high school championship for years. She's rooting for the Greyhounds to extend their streak to 23. "I hope it goes on," she said. "If it's still alive next year, I'll do everything in my power to keep it going. I'm really excited to swim high school because it's a great opportunity to continue the tradition here." Plumb believes Locke could be one of the state's top freshmen in 2009-10. "I'll be really well prepared," Locke said of swimming high school. "We have good coaching all through the club, and that gives us confidence going forward." The correlation between a strong club program and high school success is no secret in Indiana, and one local coach said Carmel is reaping those benefits. "I have the utmost respect for their club and high school programs," said Andy Pedersen, who coaches at Hamilton Southeastern High School and the Southeastern Swim Club of Fishers. "They've been able to maintain a level of excellence over the years. They demand a level of excellence." Plumb said Carmel's streak of high school state titles would not have been possible without the club. "The No. 1 reason the (high school) girls have been successful is the Carmel Swim Club," he said. "If the club didn't exist, and there was no feeder club at all, the high school team wouldn't win anything." With a seemingly endless cycle of club swimmers waiting to join the high school team, the Greyhounds appear capable of extending their title streak. The Honolulu (Hawaii) Punahou boys swim team set the all-time national record by winning 29 consecutive state championships from 1958-86. Hammes, however, has other ideas. "It doesn't have to end at 23," Hammes said. "I want to come back in a wheelchair when I'm 80 years old and see it still going. I hope the younger kids realize there's still a purpose and something worth fighting for." -