Members of the Marysville High School swimming program are from left, front row, Abby Hemker, Lillian Blakesley, Emma Menge, Reese Cordonnier, Carly Amrine and Mallory Seman; second row, Remini Roush, Morgan Grawe, Mya Potridge, Riley Sherick, Payton Pierce and Stella Moser; third row, Gabe Filbert, Adam Platt, Blake Counts, Danny Dougherty, Jacob Markert, Philip Baker and Cannon Moser; fourth row, Corey Acker, Molly Gregory, Olivia Elliott, Eva Taracko, Abby Dilsaver and Katheryn Mager; back row, Kai Longbrake, Maddie Irving, Max Miller-Brown, Nathan Moledor, Rowan Kinney and coach Beth Seman. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
“This season will be unlike any other and unfortunately it has nothing to do with swimming.”
Those are the words used by Marysville High School swimming coach Beth Seman to describe the upcoming 2020-21 campaign.
The season will attempt to begin in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We also lost several key members of our girls team with outgoing seniors Diana Jimenez, Maddie Murphy and Mikayla Seman,” said the coach. “However, with some strong freshmen joining the team. I don’t see us losing too many meets.”
MHS’ girls are led by senior letterman Morgan Grawe, who currently holds the school’s girls 100 butterfly record and was a member of two, record-breaking relays a year ago.
“As always, Morgan will be a force on our team and a true leader,” said the coach. “She and teammate Remini Roush, also a senior, were selected as the girls’ captains this year.”
Roush is also a returning letterman and will be looking to best her 500 time and make the district cut.
Other returning Lady Monarch lettermen are:
-Carly Amrine: 50 and 100 freestyles;
-Molly Gregory: 200 IM, 100 butterfly, 100 backstroke and 100 breastroke;
-Emma Menge: 200 freestyle;
-Riley Sherick: 100 butterfly
Gregory was on two district qualifying relays and also qualified individually in the 200 IM.
“Senior Stella Moser is new to the team this year and has shown tremendous talent,” said Seman. “She will definitely be useful to us this year.”
Freshmen in the program include Reese Cordonnier, Olivia Elliott, Mallory Seman and Eva Taracko.
“They are all looking to fill in some of the gaps left by our graduating seniors,” said coach Seman. “I look for Cordonnier and Elliott to play major roles on relays, while Seman and Taracko will respectively be major contenders in the breaststroke and butterfly.”
The MHS boys squad has seen a dip in numbers for the 2020-21 campaign.
“Many factors played a role in that, but we have several members who have really stepped up and shown their leadership and ability to adapt,” said the coach.
Senior Max Miller-Brown and junior Jacob Markert were chosen as this year’s boys’ captains. Markert is a returning letterman and will be a key in breastroke events and relays.
Kai Longbrake and Adam Platt are the last two seniors for the boys and both hope to drop time in their events this year.
Sophomore Joey Hazelbaker returns with high hopes of taking some names off the record board in the 50 and 100 freestyles as well as the 100 backstroke.
The other returning letterman is Blake Counts. He will compete in the 200 IM and the 100 butterfly.
Sophomore Cannon Moser ended the 2019-20 season on a high note and looks to expand on that this year. He’s trying to earn a spot on the relays and has shown great leadership and work ethic, according to the coach.
Nathan Moledor, another sophomore, is working hard and hoping to take his brother Aron’s (a 2020 senior) spot in the lineup.
Gabe Filbert is the lone freshman boy this year.
He has many years of club swimming under his belt and will step in to fill the role of butterfly specialist that Ethan Turk left when he graduated.
“Although the boys team is small, they will be mighty and I’m excited to see what the season holds for them,” said coach Seman.