FR seeks to keep building

The Fort Recovery High School swimmers have a lot to be excited about.
The Indian boys team is loaded with experienced juniors looking to compete in the district meet in multiple events. The girls program more than quadrupled its numbers after having just two swimmers a year ago.
And as a whole they’ll swim a full schedule, beginning Friday at Greenville, of 16 meets before heading to the Lima sectional in February.
That schedule includes visits to Jay County on Jan. 2 and South Adams on Jan. 12.
“I am really excited to swim in Indiana three times,” said FRHS assistant coach Perry Hull, whose team will also visit Delta in December. “I’m really excited for these kids to see some really good competition …”
The returning team leaders are Marshall Hull and Andy Gray, both juniors, who combined for four 10th-place efforts at the 2011 sectional meet.
Hull was the team’s lone district qualifier a year ago. He earned a trip to the meet at Bowling Green State University with his time of 1 minute, 4.07 seconds in the 100-yard butterfly.
He was also 10th in the 100 backstroke in 1:05.84.
He’ll handle both of those events as well as the individual medley this season.
“I’m very confident in Marshall,” said Perry Hull. “He’s going to be our cornerstone.
“He’s got a really good work ethic.”
Gray was also 10th in both of his events at the 2011 sectional, but his time of 1:42.42 in the 100 breaststroke left him just short of a trip to the district meet. His other top-10 sectional effort came with a time of 58.62 in the 100 freestyle.
Hull said he expects the junior to be his top sprinter again this season and have a chance to make the leap to the district tournament.
“He has a really good motivation to learn,” said Hull. “He has such a drive for it. I’m really excited to see what he can do.”
The other returning swimmers on the team are juniors Mitchell Homan and Lane Hull.
Homan finished 14th in the sectional in the 200 freestyle a year ago, and was also 16th in the 100 breaststroke. Hull was 17th in the 100 freestyle and 20th in the 50 freestyle.
First-year juniors Jon Sutter and Gabe Riegel round out the roster.
The Fort Recovery girls team has two swimmers with high school experience, but only one who competed last season in junior Mallory Kinder. Her best sectional result a year ago came with a time of 1:32.94 for 31st place in the 100 freestyle.
Mikayla Westgerdes, a senior, missed her junior season because of an injury, but will return to lead the Indians in 2011-12.
She’s hoping for a strong finish to her career after placing 18th in the sectional in the 100 backstroke and 24th in the 100 freestyle during her sophomore year.
“She’s our lone senior, and she’s a workhorse,” said Hull. “She may not be naturally the best swimmer, but she’s put herself in a really good place with her work ethic.
“She’s just really excited to come back her senior year and see what she can do.”
Joining the Indians as newcomers this year are sophomores Elle Sutter and Elizabeth Hipple. And the remainder of the team is made up of freshmen — Olivia Acheson, Ocean Loya, Kady Ellenberger, Marah Kinder and Cassie Gray — who have experience with the Fort Recovery Eels summer swim team or the Jay County Winter Swim Team.
While the lineup is still in flux with so many new faces, Hull said he feels he has a good mix of athletes that can continue to build the program.
“I just want to see these girls improve,” he said. “They’re a very young team. … We just need to get some wins and build some confidence.”
And while the swimming isn’t a Midwest Athletic Conference sport, Hull said he’s hoping the Tribe boys can compete well among their conference rivals. All of the MAC schools that field swim teams will compete at the Coldwater Invitational, which has become like an unofficial league tournament.
“I hope to place well,” said Hull, also noting he’d like to see the boys send a relay to the district tournament. “I could very much see us placing (in the top three). If everything works out to plan, I can definitely see the boys doing very well at MAC.”[[In-content Ad]]