Swimmers return core

It’s been 11 years since the Patriots girls swim team hasn’t had a member of the Bader family in the pool.

With the youngest of the clan, four year state qualifier Mara Bader, graduating last year, coach Matt Slavik will be looking for a way to fill in the gaps.

Despite losing its top swimmer, the Jay County High School girls swim team returns a majority of the roster that earned a top-three finish at the sectional meet a year ago.

“I think we have a lot of girls that will be able to fit into different positions,” Slavik said. “Mara went to state all four years of her high school career. So obviously, it leaves a few holes to fill, but I'm pretty confident that we have some girls here that can fill them and score points at sectionals. 

“The goal is to try to get at least a relay down to the state this year. And I think we can do it. … Every one of those girls that come back from sectional can make a jump.”

The Patriots return eight swimmers who competed in sectional finals as individuals last year and two more who made the consolation heat of the sectional as individuals while participating on the 400-yard freestyle relay team that placed sixth.

From the sectional finals, the Patriots bring back Lauren Fisher (50 freestyle, 100 butterfly), Aubrey Millspaugh (200 freestyle, 500 freestyle), Zion Beiswanger (100 breaststroke), Morgan DeHoff (100 breaststroke), Kenzie Huey (100 backstroke) and Hannah Laux (100 butterfly).

Girls who qualified for consolation heats were Sophia Hoevel (200 freestyle, 100 freestyle), Avery Wentz (500 freestyle, 100 backstroke), Beiswanger (200 individual medley), DeHoff (100 breaststroke) and Laux (100 butterfly).

Maddy Snow also got through the sectional as a diver before finishing 13th in the regional. She will be joined by freshman Lucy Mace.

Slavik is looking to improve the number of girls who are in the finals of each event as well as the number who make it out of the prelims this season.

“The idea is that I would like to see us fielding two or three girls at sectional finals and every event,” Slavik said. “I think we're pretty capable of that. We had three events where we had the 17th or 18th swimmer last year. That's never a good feeling to leave your sectional meet when you have that many people that are alternates. 

“So, the goal is that we have nobody on that alternate spot and everybody’s moved up into the top 16,” continued Slavik. “And anybody that finished in that consolation, the expectation is that we’re shooting for the finals heat.”

While a lot of swimmers will stay in similar events, some will get moved around early in the season to maximize their strengths and fill the holes left by Bader.

In individual events, the three that may move the most are Fisher, DeHoff and Beiswanger. As of right now, Beiswanger may remain in the breaststroke and individual medley, but Slavik likes how well rounded she is and may move her as needed.

Fisher will be sticking with the butterfly, but will likely move from the sprint freestyle to the 200.

“Lauren brings a lot to the table coming back as a sophomore this year,” Slavik said. “We’re not 100% sure where her events are going to unfold. We’re looking at butterfly and leaning towards 200 freestyle right now because with some stroke improvements we’re working on I think it could benefit her.”

DeHoff will remain in the breaststroke but will likely move from the butterfly one of the sprint freestyle races. Last season, she finished third in the breaststroke, only behind Bader and Julia Arnold of South Adams.

Slavik said he is looking for DeHoff to have a breakout year.

Huey will reprise her role as a backstroker and Millspaugh will stick with the distance freestyle races. Millspaugh finished fourth in the 500 freestyle last year behind two seniors who have since graduated and Norwell sophomore Cassandra Coyne.

Another change that may happen will involve Snow getting on the starting block to swim in the breaststroke.

Early in the season, Slavik is putting an emphasis exploring different options for the sprints.

“Right now, we don't have any standout sprinters,” Slavik said. “That's a lot of our focus this year, is working 50 and 100 and trying to find that breakout sprint swimmer.”

In the 200 medley relay and the 200 freestyle relay, Slavik will have to find someone to replace Bader. Previously, Huey, Fisher and DeHoff swam the medley while Fisher, DeHoff and Beiswanger competed in the freestyle. Slavik is currently considering moving DeHoff to the breaststroke leg of the medley and adding either Beiswanger or Laux as the freestyle leg. In the freestyle he thinks that Hoevel or Wentz could jump in.

The Patriots will kick off the season next Saturday when they travel to Westfield. Before the Patriots look to take the Allen County Athletic Conference and repeat as a top-three finisher at sectional, they will need to focus on the dual meets of the season.

“First and foremost for me to focus on our dual meets and just try to figure out where everybody belongs,” Slavik said. “As long as we're accomplishing the little goals, it all comes together at the end and makes us better as a team.”