Swimming: Here comes the next batch…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
I remember two years ago how excited I was to see all these great young swimmers at the state championship meet. It’s always fun to meet the young kids because you can grow your relationship with them from the start.
Some of those young stars are now the class of the state now. I’m talking about names like Chickasha’s Isaac McKnight, Norman North’s Wilson Wei, Southmoore’s Paul Le, etc.
But from looking at the top qualifying times this season and now the results of the Mid-State and Metro conference meets this weekend, here comes a new group of kids looking to dominate.
Right now Southmoore freshman Alex Ballard is standing out amongst the crowd. She’s been fantastic all season and proved it with a big-time outing at the Mid-State meet. She won the 200-yard freestyle and the 500 free.
She was dominant in both events, and ironically, Norman sophomore Jacque Medina was second in each of those events.
From there, I think you have to go to Kimmie Reneau of Westmoore. The sophomore won the 50 free and 100 backstroke and gives Westmoore another star to go with Dakota Wheeler.
The Edmond schools are littered with underclassmen that are already dynamite. From Carlie Pearson to Sean Simpson to Sara Riggs and up and down the lineup, the best is yet to come for them.
Norman schools, too. From Medina to Bradley Quy, it’s incredible how deep the Norman teams are starting to become.
In fact, of the 32 individual titles in the two conferences, 11 of the Metro titles were underclassmen and 14 of the Mid-State were underclassmen for 25 of the 32 going to non-seniors. Westmoore’s Wheeler was the only senior to win titles at the Mid-State event.
But for how great the youth have been, how will they react to the biggest stage of them all at state? Though most get to swim at the Aquatic Center at OCCC during the season, there is no atmosphere that can equal the state meet.
Believe me, I’m working on year No. 3 of being the swimming dude, it gets a lot more crazy at that pool than anyone would think possible. It’s a fun weekend.
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