FR program hopes to keep building

Success in the pool has been progressive each of the last three seasons.

First, an individual won a district medal. A year later a relay did the same.

Last season, the Tribe had swimmers reach state.

To keep the trend going, the Fort Recovery High School girls swim team will have to rely on a group of underclassmen.

“I think we will probably have to look at our sophomores to step it up this year,” said FRHS coach Mindy Bubp, whose boys and girls teams opens the season today in the Celina Sprints Invitational at Jay County.

Fort Recovery lost seniors Alexis Bubp and Sophie Timmerman to graduation after they competed at the state meet a year ago. But the Tribe returns sophomore Ava Bubp as well as senior Cassy Martin with experience at the state’s highest level.

“Just have to see as they progress this season to get them down to the times they need to return to state,” Mindy Bubp said. “It will be an interesting season for us. They’re working to try to return to state but that is going to be a hard season for them.”

Joining Ava Bubp in the sophomore class are Autumn Burk, Shelby Stammen and Katie McIntosh-Thobe.

Stammen will compete in the individual medley and 500 freestyle as well as see some time as a breaststroker. Burk will swim the butterfly and McIntosh-Thobe will be in the breaststroke and freestyle events.

Martin, the school record holder in the 50-yard freestyle, was 17th in the event at the Division II state meet. She also helped the 400 freestyle relay team, which also included the Bubp sisters and Timmerman, place 14th. Martin joined Alexis Bubp, Paige Fortkamp — she chose to play basketball this winter instead of swim — and Timmerman to place 16th in the 200 freestyle relay.

This year, Martin will handle the backstroke and individual medley events as well as being a sprint freestyler for the Indians.

Rachel Acheson is the lone junior on the nine-member squad, and Bubp said she will be relied upon to fill some relay positions as well as the 100 freestyle.

Freshmen Melissa Laux, Shelby Acheson and Kendall Evers round out Fort Recovery’s roster.

Nolan Thobe and Owen Sheridan anchor the five-member boys squad. Sheridan, who missed last season because of a shoulder injury, will handle the butterfly as well as some freestyle events. Thobe’s best event is the breaststroke and the IM.

“I expect those two to be strong this year,” Bubp said.

Junior Josh Gonzalez is in line to be the Tribe’s backstroker as well as middle distance freestyler, and sophomore newcomer Michael Braun will participate in freestyle events as well.

Aiden Sheridan, Owen’s brother, will focus on freestyle races as he recovers from a shoulder injury.

“With five swimmers, that’s larger than we were last year,” Bubp said. “I’ll be able to fill in some relays. We will still as a team have trouble in the larger meets.”

Despite only having 14 swimmers in the program, Bubp is trying to get them to focus on continuing to improve individually rather than as a team.

“We won’t focus as much on or point scores in some of the larger meets,” she said. “We won’t have the (depth). I really think we’ll have a really good year this year. We may place well.”