Published: November 19, 2009 01:04 am      

POOLSIDE: Girls' swimming season preview

The Floyd Central girls’ swimming team has won the past two sectional championships and has nearly every swimmer back from those teams, giving the Highlanders high hopes for 2009-10.

“We have eight seniors who have been with us for four years, so expectations are high,” Floyd Central coach Joe Perkins said. “Plus, we have a solid group of juniors and sophomores behind them.”

With swimmers like sophomore Haley Dresner and senior Katelyn Cato, Perkins has no doubt that his girls’ team can reach its annual goals.

“We open up the year every year with the goal being to win the (Hoosier Hills) conference meet and the sectional meet and try to go undefeated in the dual-meet season,” Perkins said. “We’ve done that the last two years with these same girls.”

Dresner was the sectional champion and a state qualifier in the 100-yard breaststroke last season. Cato was the sectional runner-up in the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke and has participated in the state meet in each of the past three seasons in the 100 free, 100 back and relays.

Perkins said he would like to see both finish in the top 16 in the state this season.

“We try to set the bar higher every year,” Perkins said. “The big thing this year is to try to get someone to (the final round of) the state meet. We haven’t done that in recent years.”



NEW ALBANY

Even after losing six valuable seniors from last year’s team, which finished fourth in the Floyd Central Sectional, New Albany is in better shape than might be expected.

Jeffersonville coach Keith Gast called the Bulldogs a sectional contender because of its returning swimmers and a talented freshman class.

New Albany senior Macy Reitsert said she has already seen the impact the freshmen, led by multi-talented Hannah Manger, have had.

“The freshmen are really strong,” Reitsert said. “It’s been fun getting to know all of them and becoming a team.”

Those eight freshmen are joined by four strong returning swimmers — Reitsert, senior Julia Lipps, sophomore Abby Litkenhous and junior Morganne McCool.

As a freshman, Litkenhous finished fourth in the sectional in the 50 freestyle.

“I think this will be a really good year,” Reitsert said. “We have a lot of strong, fast swimmers.”



PROVIDENCE

The trio of seniors Courtney Murphy, Erica Knear and Maria Cochran give Providence coach Sara Schutz reason for optimism in 2009-10.

Murphy swims the backstroke and the 200 freestyle, Knear the 200 and 500 free, and Cochran the 500 free, and all three were part of sectional-placing relay teams as juniors last season.

“Our team has a lot of new swimmers, but those four are the key to our team,” Schutz said. “They definitely provide great leadership for the new swimmers.”

Schutz said she will also count on two new swimmers — freshman AnneMarie Carney and junior Alicia Akin.

Carney has been a year-round swimmer for the past several years.

“She’s definitely has great potential for the next four years,” Schutz said. “She’ll add a lot to our team and to our relays.”



JEFFERSONVILLE

Jeffersonville lost seven seniors from last year sectional runner-up, and Gast said the Red Devils may not have the depth or talent to compete with defending champion Floyd Central and an improved New Albany squad this season.

However, it won’t be for lack of effort.

Gast said his squad has worked hard to prepare for the 2009-10 season.

“It will be an interesting year,” Gast said. “We have several girls who have worked hard over the summer, so it will be interesting to see how they do.”

The Red Devils do have two stars returning, including state finalist Katie Daily. The senior and IUPUI recruit won the Floyd Central Sectional in the 200 freestyle last year and went to the state meet in both the 100 and 200 freestyle events.

Sophomore Hannah Martin is a state-finalist hopeful this season in the backstroke and the individual medley, both in which she finished fourth at the sectional last season.

Gast said he also will count on Shelby Simcoe, Arica Newcom and Kea Gwin in individual events and with relay teams, which Gast said he is also hopeful can get to the state meet.



CHARLESTOWN

The Pirates return three successful swimmers from last year’s team that finished ninth in the Floyd Central Sectional.

However, first-year head coach Bill Batke is dealing with the loss of two strong swimmers and a shoulder injury to senior Kaitlin Flora, the Pirates’ 200 individual medley swimmer.

“Just the fact that we lost two good swimmers tells me that it’s going to be a rebuilding year,” Batke said.

Charlestown’s strength should be in its distance swimming. Junior Sophie Higazy and freshman Katie Jenkins give the Pirates two good distance swimmers. Sophomore Kendra Phipps, who placed in the sectional in two relays, also will help the Pirates.

Batke said, as a first-year coach, he hasn’t given much thought to upcoming meets yet.

“I’m striving to get more team unity,” he said. “We’ve spent the first month doing stroke mechanics and fundamentals.”

Batke said he also will count on sophomore diver Kristi Roach, sophomore Jessica Goodwin and freshman Lindsey Blackwell for points this season.



SILVER CREEK

With just five swimmers on the team, Silver Creek likely won’t be competitive in many dual matches.

However, with all five swimmers returning, Dragons’ coach Beth Turk said she expects her team to be competitive in bigger meets.

“Of course, we really can’t win many meets with five swimmers. But they can place high in (Mid-Southern) conference,” Turk said. “We want to be competitive and I think they will be. All five girls have some experience, so we should be pretty good.”

Two seniors and a junior lead Silver Creek. Senior Kelly Stewart is a freestyle swimmer. Senior Emily Warren is a breaststroker and distance swimmer, and junior Carly Stark is an all-around swimmer who specializes in the individual medley.



HENRYVILLE

In its first season as a program, Henryville’s girls swimming team had some success.

Freshman Casey Guernsey finished eighth in the Floyd Central Sectional in the 100 breaststroke, giving the Hornets their first sectional points in school history.

This year, Guernsey, now a sophomore, returns as one of only three Hornets swimmers.

“Hopefully, she’ll pick up some time and get into the finals (of the sectional) in the breaststroke, and we hope she does even better in some of her other events,” Henryville coach Dave Reynolds said.

Sophomores Jaclyn Zweydorff, a backstroker, and Katie Monk, who swims freestyle, join Guernsey.

“With only three, the only thing you can do is set individual time standards,” Reynolds said.