Super sophomore swimmer returns from national meet
Phillip Morgan
Issue date: 3/18/10 Section: Sports
Sophomore Linda Okonkowski wrapped up the 2009-2010 Charger swim season with 22nd, 25th and 30th place finishes in her respective events at the Division II?National Meet in Canton, Ohio, last week.
Okonkowski competed in the 200-yard IM, the 200-yard fly, and the 100-yard fly and swam what she describes as disappointing times.
"I was hoping to make it back to finals in at least one event," Okonkowski said.
The first day of the meet Okonkowski swam 2:09.77 in the 200-yard IM and took 30th place. On Thursday she finished 23rd in the 100-yard fly with a time of 57.60, and on Friday she swam a time of 2:07.83 in the 200-yard fly. It was good for a 22nd place finish. She failed to make it to the finals in all three races.
Okonkowski said she was unsure about what to attribute for her slower finishes in comparison to previous times she has posted.
"I talked to coach and couldn't figure out what happened," she said. "My stroke was there, I was focused, I was rested, and I wasn't intimidated by anyone."
Coach Kirner said he hoped Okonkowski would swim the times she got in December at the Calvin meet.
"They were good times," Kirner said of her National Meet races. "But they weren't fast enough".
Despite not making it to the finals, Okonkowski said she felt rewarded by the experience.
"It was good to get to know coach better," she said. "It is just an
honor to swim amongst the fastest swimmers from around the country," she added.
Okonkowski said she grew as a leader while competing at Nationals.
"I came back with more leadership because I didn't do as well as I would have liked," Okonkowski said. "I am stronger because of it."
Having a swimmer compete at the National Meet motivates the rest of the team, said Kirner.
"I think it brings a certain level of competitiveness back," said Kirner. "Whenever you have a swimmer who get to go into a meet like that its setting a standard, its setting a bar".
As the only Charger swimmer to attend the National meet, Okonkowski said she would have liked it to have teammates with her. But she said she still felt support from fellow GLIAC swimmers from Findlay University-they often cheered her on, Okonkowski said.
With the season finally over, Okonkowski plans on taking a couple of weeks off before she starts lifting weights. She plans to start swimming again soon after spring break. Over the summer she will begin intense training, she said.
"The end of the season wasn't quite what I expected, but I feel the season as a whole was a success," said Okonkowski.
She is only a sophomore and has led the charge for the Hillsdale swim team already in just two short years. A bright future awaits as Okonkowski endeavors to once again return to the National meet and leave a Charger mark on the competition.
The team as a whole is young and will only grow as the next season approaches.
Okonkowski competed in the 200-yard IM, the 200-yard fly, and the 100-yard fly and swam what she describes as disappointing times.
"I was hoping to make it back to finals in at least one event," Okonkowski said.
The first day of the meet Okonkowski swam 2:09.77 in the 200-yard IM and took 30th place. On Thursday she finished 23rd in the 100-yard fly with a time of 57.60, and on Friday she swam a time of 2:07.83 in the 200-yard fly. It was good for a 22nd place finish. She failed to make it to the finals in all three races.
Okonkowski said she was unsure about what to attribute for her slower finishes in comparison to previous times she has posted.
"I talked to coach and couldn't figure out what happened," she said. "My stroke was there, I was focused, I was rested, and I wasn't intimidated by anyone."
Coach Kirner said he hoped Okonkowski would swim the times she got in December at the Calvin meet.
"They were good times," Kirner said of her National Meet races. "But they weren't fast enough".
Despite not making it to the finals, Okonkowski said she felt rewarded by the experience.
"It was good to get to know coach better," she said. "It is just an
honor to swim amongst the fastest swimmers from around the country," she added.
Okonkowski said she grew as a leader while competing at Nationals.
"I came back with more leadership because I didn't do as well as I would have liked," Okonkowski said. "I am stronger because of it."
Having a swimmer compete at the National Meet motivates the rest of the team, said Kirner.
"I think it brings a certain level of competitiveness back," said Kirner. "Whenever you have a swimmer who get to go into a meet like that its setting a standard, its setting a bar".
As the only Charger swimmer to attend the National meet, Okonkowski said she would have liked it to have teammates with her. But she said she still felt support from fellow GLIAC swimmers from Findlay University-they often cheered her on, Okonkowski said.
With the season finally over, Okonkowski plans on taking a couple of weeks off before she starts lifting weights. She plans to start swimming again soon after spring break. Over the summer she will begin intense training, she said.
"The end of the season wasn't quite what I expected, but I feel the season as a whole was a success," said Okonkowski.
She is only a sophomore and has led the charge for the Hillsdale swim team already in just two short years. A bright future awaits as Okonkowski endeavors to once again return to the National meet and leave a Charger mark on the competition.
The team as a whole is young and will only grow as the next season approaches.
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