Friend and Foe

They train together, eat together, socialize and laugh together. They swim together for local club teams like the Lakeside Seahawks, the Tarpons, the Tritons and LRS. But at the Kentucky State Swimming & Diving Championships on February 13 and 14 at the University of Louisville, they may not even look at each other. They are some of the top-ranked swimmers in the Commonwealth and they enjoy great friendships on their club teams, but when it comes to the regional and state high school swimming championships, all that camaraderie is put aside. They are competing for their schools now and they're in it to win it. It's go time! Mike DeBoor is the head coach of the Lakeside Seahawks and oversees the training of many of these athletes. He knows their tendencies and their psyches better than anyone. He understands the importance of the high school competition. "The high school state meet is an important part of the swim season because it's exciting for the athletes," says DeBoor. "It's one of the few times where they get to compete in a situation where the team matters more than their individual performance." That dedication to the team brings about a different mindset when these athletes get in the water at the state meet. "We go to so many meets together as club team members with Lakeside," says Devan Terry. "But [at state] I'm swimming for Male High School and not cheering for anyone else. Don't get me wrong, I love my Lakeside teammates, but when we step to the blocks for regionals and the state meet, I'll be all about Male." The junior will be defending his state championship in the 100-yard breastroke at state this month. duPont Manual sophomore Caroline Thomas, who earned a second and a third in the 50-yard free and 100-yard free at last year's state meet, enjoys the competitive spirit at the state meet. "Swimming for Manual makes the competition more fun," says Thomas. "It pushes you to do your best. High school swimming is all about the team." But Thomas cautions that emotions can sometimes get the best of the competitor. "If it gets too competitive you just have to remind yourself or your teammate to be a good sport," Thomas says. "You just can't take it too seriously because it will affect your performance." Trinity senior Patrick Kemme has his own approach to staying calm. "I have to think about it like it's just an average meet because I perform better at average meets," says Kemme. "Just by going against people like Devan (Terry) every day at practice and then competing against him as an opponent will make it seem like it's just another meet." Kemme may need earplugs. The atmosphere at a championship swim meet is like no other. Imagine being crammed into a humid, chlorinated space surrounded by a deafening din of high-pitched teenage voices shouting encouragement, whistled signals and parents cheering in full throat. And all that noise is contained and reverberating within the concrete walls. Out of the water, it's a raucous, rowdy event. In the water, it's a silent balancing act as the swimmer tries to maintain a rhythm and pace she has trained for months to achieve. The silence in the water is broken only for a split second as the swimmer turns to breathe and hears the passion, emotion and noise coming from teammates and the crowd. Maclin Simpson, a senior at St. Xavier, has his sights set on helping the Tigers win their 21st consecutive state championship and 45th overall. "I'm looking forward to swimming against my friends in that atmosphere and winning another title for St. X," says Simpson, who has committed to swim at Ohio State next year. He'll be gunning for a state title in the 100-yard butterfly and helping his teammates try to surpass last year's record-setting 200-yard medley relay. The bar is set high, but Simpson is up for the challenge. "It's a great honor to swim against the top competition in the state meet. It's a completely different environment, but a lot of fun swimming for your school." While these athletes do their best to maintain their composure and compete with good sportsmanship, it's a special thrill to compete for their school teams. "Everyone has the same goal in mind at the high school meets," says Sacred Heart sophomore Summer Stephens. "It's not personal outside the pool, but in the water, you're racing for your team and helping your team win." Stephens enjoys the team spirit she feels when she competes for Sacred Heart. "Your whole team will be behind you wearing their team spirit gear and cheering you on," she says. "It's a great environment and helps bring out the best in you. You're not racing for yourself anymore." Getting the most out of their performance is crucial for all of these swimmers. While their club teams put an emphasis on swimming faster times and moving up in the local, state, regional and national rankings, the high school teams focus on the win for the team. Leah Reinhardt, a senior at Manual and two-time defending state champion in the 100-yard butterfly, has lost only one meet in her four years of high school and has been member of three consecutive state championship teams. (Manual is the four-time defending state girls' champion.) She and her Manual teammates are pushing hard for their fifth title in a row. "I'm excited and looking forward to my last high school swim meet," says Reinhardt. "It should be a very close meet and will be difficult to win again. The team aspect of this competition is so much more important than the individual awards." Do you have an edge since you train with your opposition? "We all want to win and we train really hard," says a respectful Reinhardt during a break in her training. "We're all very competitive student-athletes. I respect my club teammates for that and know that we all want to win for our schools. We'll just lay it out there and see what happens and who touches first." "It's a lot more fun swimming the high school meet than the club meets," says Tom Vieth, a senior at Louisville Collegiate School, who will be entered in the 100 and 200 freestyle events. "There's a little less pressure on me individually, but swimming for my school and knowing my competition only adds to the fun." Vieth's coach, Damian Vitale, thinks he is ready for a good showing, "Tom is poised to have a really good meet. He has to focus on being relaxed during the preliminary heats and just qualify for the finals, but he's coming on strong at the end of his Collegiate career." Gary Webb, the head coach of the Manual girls' team, says the competition is intense, but they work at keeping it all in perspective. "While we appreciate the good competition, it's nothing but a swim meet and you can't win every year," Webb says. "We know that it will be a tough meet to win, and we stress good sportsmanship no matter what the result. We've lost about 90 points from last year's team, so this year's state meet (for the girls) will be very close. Whoever wins will have earned it and deserved it." They are friends at practice, in the locker rooms, and on the deck outside the pool. But once the team suit is pulled on and the team cap is perfectly aligned, there's no holding back. Let the competition commence and may the best touch first. Paul Najjar is a freelance writer and sports commentator. Read his sports commentary at www.paulonsports.com.