Swim Teams Not Missing A Beat Without A Home
28 Nov 2008

by Eric Christiansen
The Manchester High School boys’ and girls’ swim team are in a unique situation.
With the closing of the Manchester Community Pool, the swim teams will not only have all of their meets on the road, but they practice every evening at Rochester High School.
“It’s been an adjustment for everyone,” said first year coach Taylor Clifford. “Everyone is doing well. The kids understand (the situation). We just have to make an extra effort to get there.
“The morale has been good,” she continued. “We are driving to practices, but the bus rides are good. We’re listening to music and have a lot of time for team bonding. We have to help each other through it. It’s a really close team.”
Clifford, who has been the Manchester Aquatic Club (MAC) coach for the past three years, takes over from Kyle Wieland. Clifford, a senior at Manchester College, majoring in exercise science, swam in high school at Kankakee Valley High School.
Numbers are down this season for the swim teams, with six girls and seven boys coming out for the team.
“Practices have been going really well,” Clifford said. “We took times yesterday, and I was really impressed. Heather Schilling had some good times, and I think Collin Buzzard will be strong in the distance. Everyone has their own strength, it just depends on the event.”
For the boys, joining Buzzard are Jacob Vogel, Ryan Henderson, Tyler Manns, Grey Harris, Max Mattern, and Andrew Asbury.
On the girls’ team, along with Schilling are Lille Terrill, Rebecca Ruppert, Kierston Ridenour, Kaytlyn Eberly, and Kaitlin Durden.
“We’re really focusing on making sure everyone is comfortable with what they have to do,” Clifford said. “They have to push themselves, focus on getting times up, and making sure they are conditioned. Everyone knows they are going to have to step up.
“We want everyone to have a good attitude,” she continued. “Attitude is the key. The most important thing is that the team is a team. We have to work together and push each other. The focus has to shift with our situation, and they are out there doing it.”
The swim teams open their season at Huntington North on December 2, then travel to Tippecanoe Valley on December 4.