The Auburn girls swim team is down to just four swimmers - five, if the flu rears its ugly head again.
Chet Susslin / The Citizen
As Auburn freshman Makenzie Hauger lunges to start her swim, her teammates, from left, senior Ashley King, senior Mallorie Dygert, freshman and alternate swimmer Michaela Elliott, and freshman Mary Jane Leja chat in the pool during a practice session at the Auburn YMCA-WEIU on Tuesday afternoon.
As Auburn freshman Makenzie Hauger lunges to start her swim, her teammates, from left, senior Ashley King, senior Mallorie Dygert, freshman and alternate swimmer Michaela Elliott, and freshman Mary Jane Leja chat in the pool during a practice session at the Auburn YMCA-WEIU on Tuesday afternoon.
Mary Jane Leja, Ashley King, Mallorie Dygert and Makenzie Hauger will be making the trip to the NYSPHSAA meet at Webster-Schroeder High School in Webster. The state meet will begin at noon on Friday, with the finals resuming at 10:15 a.m. Saturday.
Freshman Michaela Elliot will also be making the trip, as an alternate in case one of the Maroons' quartet can't compete.
“Section III recommended that we send an alternate, just in case,” Auburn head coach Tom Clary Jr. said. “We've had a huge issue with the flu this season and Michaela was willing to do it - make the trip all the way there and possibly not swim.”
The relay's core group will be without the added pressure of having to compete in additional events, which should help their performance at states. Leja is the team's top sprinter, competing in the 50 and 100 freestyles this season, while King and Dygert have been the team's best distance swimmers and Hauger has swam several events, including the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM.
“I think they'll do well (at states), especially since they've worked so hard,” Clary said. “I don't want to say it's easy, but it'll be easier for them there. It's the shortest relay, and it's something they usually swim after another event, or before another one.”
Auburn hasn't sent a 200 freestyle relay to the state meet in a few years - and last year it sent just one swimmer, Kelsey Roe in the 100 butterfly. And this season, the Maroons almost didn't send anyone, though Clary believed they could.
“The last six weeks before sectionals, I thought that if (the 200 freestyle relay team) could swim one-tenth of a second faster, they could make it,” he said.
The 200 freestyle relay team swam its best time around 1:47 all year, but shaved the time down to 1:45 after the Section III preliminaries. Clary made some changes in the order the athletes swam. He initially had Leja in the first spot, followed by Hauger, Dygert and King.
“I was a little discouraged after that first day,” Clary said. “But the next day, they had their adrenaline flying and their time dropped a bit.”
Putting Hauger in the starting spot and following her with Dygert, King and concluding with the speediest swimmer gave the Maroons all the boost they needed - a 1:42.88 time - as all four swimmers came away with personal-best times.
Clary insists that he will keep his swimming lineup in the same order as the sectional finals meet.
“I think the pieces of the puzzle fit better this way,” he said. “ I think they'll go faster. They've looked good the last 10 days and it's a first - no one is out with the flu right now and all four girls are doing well.”
Freshman Michaela Elliot will also be making the trip, as an alternate in case one of the Maroons' quartet can't compete.
“Section III recommended that we send an alternate, just in case,” Auburn head coach Tom Clary Jr. said. “We've had a huge issue with the flu this season and Michaela was willing to do it - make the trip all the way there and possibly not swim.”
The relay's core group will be without the added pressure of having to compete in additional events, which should help their performance at states. Leja is the team's top sprinter, competing in the 50 and 100 freestyles this season, while King and Dygert have been the team's best distance swimmers and Hauger has swam several events, including the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM.
“I think they'll do well (at states), especially since they've worked so hard,” Clary said. “I don't want to say it's easy, but it'll be easier for them there. It's the shortest relay, and it's something they usually swim after another event, or before another one.”
Auburn hasn't sent a 200 freestyle relay to the state meet in a few years - and last year it sent just one swimmer, Kelsey Roe in the 100 butterfly. And this season, the Maroons almost didn't send anyone, though Clary believed they could.
“The last six weeks before sectionals, I thought that if (the 200 freestyle relay team) could swim one-tenth of a second faster, they could make it,” he said.
The 200 freestyle relay team swam its best time around 1:47 all year, but shaved the time down to 1:45 after the Section III preliminaries. Clary made some changes in the order the athletes swam. He initially had Leja in the first spot, followed by Hauger, Dygert and King.
“I was a little discouraged after that first day,” Clary said. “But the next day, they had their adrenaline flying and their time dropped a bit.”
Putting Hauger in the starting spot and following her with Dygert, King and concluding with the speediest swimmer gave the Maroons all the boost they needed - a 1:42.88 time - as all four swimmers came away with personal-best times.
Clary insists that he will keep his swimming lineup in the same order as the sectional finals meet.
“I think the pieces of the puzzle fit better this way,” he said. “ I think they'll go faster. They've looked good the last 10 days and it's a first - no one is out with the flu right now and all four girls are doing well.”
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