Swimmers find success

I have written about the success of the Copperas Cove High School swimming program before but it is surprising how well this program continues to do year after year.  Why is it so surprising?  Folks, CCISD does not own a pool facility.    

Superintendent Dr. Joe Burns has done a fantastic job in working with Central Texas College officials in allowing our swim program to utilize the CTC pool facility.  The CTC facility is very nice and CCISD is very appreciative. It still is not as convenient as having a pool on campus.

               Coach Trish Stoddard and her staff continue to come up with a team of champions.  This year’s group produced three boy district championships.  They also finished with a silver medal and a bronze medal at the District 10-6A swim meet finals. 

Jacob Guerrero set a new school record in the 200-yard freestyle.  He won three district championships.  The 200-yard freestyle relay team won the district title with a time of 1:35.41.

Carson McVeigh won the silver medal in the 50-free and claimed the district title in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 49.95.
               The 200-yard free relay (De’Vaunte Jackson, McVeigh and Ryan Lippert) were third place finishers. McVeigh, Lippert, Guerrero and Abdiel Hernandez-Lopez also took the bronze medal and a regional bid in the 400-yard freestyle relay.  Lippert and Martinez also qualified for regionals in individual events. Lippert finished fifth in the 10-yard backstroke with a time of 1:02.95 to punch his ticket. Martinez finished sixth in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:21.71 to earn his spot. Hernandez-Lopez just missed a spot in the 100-yard butterfly. He finished with a time of 1:04.65.  The boys’ team finished third overall in district.

The girls’ team qualified for regionals in all three relays.  Grace Wolford earned a regional bid with a sixth-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 6:48.69.  Wolford,   Dacie Judd, Shelby Birdwell and Paola Rosario-Diaz won fourth-place with a time of 4:39.25 in the 400-yard freestyle relay. The foursome also finished fifth in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 2:02.52 and sixth in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 2:27.93.  Wolford also qualified in the 500 free. Stoddard was really impressed with the improvement from the girls.

In a recent interview, Coach Stoddard said, “I think they exceeded expectations,” she said. “I’m really proud of my girls’ team. All three relays qualified and they’ve struggled in the past.”  

What is up next for the Aqua Dawgs?  The Region III-6A meet will be held Feb 2-3 at the Rockwall ISD Aquatic Center in Rockwall.  Coach Stoddard knows the competition will be very keen but is excited for all the swimmers’ opportunity to compete.

Stoddard knows the competition will be stiff at the regional level but she also knows it’s about competing with yourself.  One of many reasons I believe the swim program has been successful is because of the challenge Coach Stoddard and staff make to the swimmers.  The staff continues to push the swimmers to gain personal bests.  “I just want to see some more personal best times,” stated Stoddard.

Thought for the week, “So many people along the way, whatever it is you aspire to do, will tell you it can’t be done. But all it takes is imagination. You dream. You plan. You reach.”  Michael Phelps