Swim takes home dramatic win in the final seconds
Phillip Morgan
Issue date: 11/12/09 Section: Sports
The Hillsdale Charger swim team won its first away meet of the season Saturday. The ladies slid by Findlay University on the final event of the match. The team also handedly defeated Alma College in the process.
The 200-yard freestyle relay team, consisting of freshman Sammi Ward, junior Alicia Leduc, sophomore Katie Lamb and freshman Sarah Leitner, secured a 59-52 victory over meet host Findlay with what head coach Kurt Kirner called an exciting final race.
"It was pretty impressive," he said. "It was as fast as we went all of last year."
Leitner, who anchored the race, was the difference-maker as she pulled away to finish two seconds ahead of Findlay's final swimmer.
"I love swimming the anchor just for the thrill of the race," Leitner said. "When I dove in the water all I could think was I have to win this race."
According to senior co-captain Kelsey Gomberg, Leitner was just the person the Chargers wanted swimming with the meet on the line.
"She's really competitive," Gomberg said. "She was a good person to have in at the end."
Findlay's swimmers initially surprised the Chargers Saturday by breaking a school-record time and upsetting Hillsdale in the first event, the 200-yard medley.
The team bounced back well though and took first and second in the 1000-yard freestyle with sophomore Michaela Wolfe finishing at 11:08.29 and sophomore Nikki Dyer at 11:19.10.
"They were pretty competitive," Gomberg said of Findlay. "We had to adjust our lineup."
Kirner attributes the victory to the team's depth and ability to make adjustments mid-race.
"They've picked up quite some talent," he said. "They're much better than last year. We had to go in and make adjustments and make sure everybody understood that everyone needs to contribute."
Among the adjustments the squad was forced to make was having sophomore Linda Okonkowski swim in three individual events, the 500-yard freestyle, the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard butterfly. She took first place in all three.
The 200-yard freestyle relay team, consisting of freshman Sammi Ward, junior Alicia Leduc, sophomore Katie Lamb and freshman Sarah Leitner, secured a 59-52 victory over meet host Findlay with what head coach Kurt Kirner called an exciting final race.
"It was pretty impressive," he said. "It was as fast as we went all of last year."
Leitner, who anchored the race, was the difference-maker as she pulled away to finish two seconds ahead of Findlay's final swimmer.
"I love swimming the anchor just for the thrill of the race," Leitner said. "When I dove in the water all I could think was I have to win this race."
According to senior co-captain Kelsey Gomberg, Leitner was just the person the Chargers wanted swimming with the meet on the line.
"She's really competitive," Gomberg said. "She was a good person to have in at the end."
Findlay's swimmers initially surprised the Chargers Saturday by breaking a school-record time and upsetting Hillsdale in the first event, the 200-yard medley.
The team bounced back well though and took first and second in the 1000-yard freestyle with sophomore Michaela Wolfe finishing at 11:08.29 and sophomore Nikki Dyer at 11:19.10.
"They were pretty competitive," Gomberg said of Findlay. "We had to adjust our lineup."
Kirner attributes the victory to the team's depth and ability to make adjustments mid-race.
"They've picked up quite some talent," he said. "They're much better than last year. We had to go in and make adjustments and make sure everybody understood that everyone needs to contribute."
Among the adjustments the squad was forced to make was having sophomore Linda Okonkowski swim in three individual events, the 500-yard freestyle, the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard butterfly. She took first place in all three.
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