First-year Oak Harbor High School swim and dive coach Jenny Butler “couldn’t be happier” with the beginning of the 2016 season, particularly with Wildcats’ dedication.
With John Vanderzicht Memorial Pool unavailable for the first two weeks of practice because of maintenance, the Oak Harbor team, all 38, traveled to Anacortes.
“That’s on top of an hour of dry-land training three times a week,” Butler said.
Butler inherits 10 letter winners from a team that was 4-0 in the Wesco North and 7-5 overall last fall.
Returning are seniors Angele Dennen, Maya Krantz and Erica Sugatan; juniors Taliah Black, Shanice Crosby, Naomi Garcia, Jillian Pape and Baelee Whitinger; and sophomores Kelly Gruenwald and Natalie Hahn.
Also back is senior captain Maddy Harstad.
Pape was first-team, all-league and the district champion in the 50 free last year; she went on to place 13th at state. She took fourth at district and 20th at state in the 100 butterfly.
Black was fourth in the district and 21st at state in the 100 breaststroke.
Whitinger was on the Wesco first-team 400 free relay squad.
She joined Black, Sugatan and Pape to finish second at district in the 200 medley relay and 22nd at state.
Black, Sugatan and Pape also earned second at district and 22nd at state in the 200 free relay.
Talented junior Olivia Tungate has joined the team this season after swimming with a club for two years.
Senior Molly Vogt also returns after lettering as a sophomore.
“The girls are all working hard and focused on getting in shape as fast as possible,” Butler said. However, “We don’t have a lot of time to prepare for the finer aspects of swimming, such as starts/turns/stroke technique before our first meet.”
The season will be a success, according to Butler, if everyone has fun, supports each other and improves.
Oak Harbor will compete in the Marysville Jamboree at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, and then returns to Marysville-Pilchuck for the first meet, which will also include Marysville Getchell, at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13.
The first home meet is 5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19, with Monroe.
