Most teams can circle one week on their regular season schedule as being the ‘most critical.?
For the Lake Orion girls? swim squad, this is that week.
The team hosted Farmington Hills Harrison after this edition went to press (visit www.lakeorionreview.com for the results) and travels to Stoney Creek on Thursday.
Those two meets will go a long way toward the team’s hope of returning to the top of the OAA II.
‘They were second to Clarkston last year,? Coach Darin Abbasse said of Stoney Creek ‘So, in my opinion, that makes them the team to beat.?
The team is already off to a 3-0 start in the league (3-1) overall, with the latest win coming last week against Andover, 101-85.
Abbasse said the team has a solid core of returning swimmers.
‘Our junior class is strong, with returning state qualifiers Chrissie Forrest and Nicole Kudla,? he said. ‘Chrissie qualified in the 200-free and 500-free last year and Nicole has already qualified for the 50-free this year.?
Seniors Sara Simic, Chelsey Booth and Janessa Giddings are the team’s captains. Simic and sophomore Ronnie Booth are both returning qualifiers in the backstroke.
Seniors Emily Ribitch and Liz Eesley, sophomore Amy Norman and junior Aly Katz are also among the team’s other top swimmers.
Kristin Kevnick, Kristen Watkoske and Colby Pudlo (recovering from an injury) are among Abbasse’s most promising freshmen.
In diving, the team returns just one experienced diver, Chantal Talbot, and must make up for the loss of one of their best.
‘Jenna Dorey graduated last year as a state qualifier all four years,? Abbasse said. ‘So we’re learning.?
Three seniors and a junior are among the first-year divers.
‘We’re competing well,? Abbasse said of the team as a whole. ‘I think between us and Stoney and Harrison, it could come down to a one-event difference.?
The dual meet portion of the schedule determines half of the final league standings, with the league meet accounting for the rest.
But winning the league is just one of the squad’s goals.
‘I think we’re set up for a strong run,? Abbasse said. ‘Our goal in the county meet is always to compete for a top-10 finish and qualify more swimmers each year.?
Forrest, Simic, both Booth sisters, Eesley and Kudla have all qualified for the county meet based on their times in the early part of the season.
Lake Orion hosts the County Meet on Oct. 4 and their league meet in early November.
‘Just like the county meet, my goal at states is for this team to be in the top-10,? Abbasse said.
He would like to see the team come close, if not beat, their best-ever state finish, which was 13th in 2003.
‘The top-10 is usually in the paper, getting some recognition, and that’s what these kids are working hard to achieve,? he said.
The state meet is at Eastern Michigan University Nov. 21-22.