NEW MARKET — Coming off one of the strongest seasons in school history, the Southmont girls’ swim team is eager to return to the pool. And the boys’ are ready to see continued improvement.
Southmont won county and sectional titles on the girls’ side last season, and graduated a handful of top swimmers, but the Mounties continue to be strong in numbers.
“This group is eager to improve and has a great attitude,” Southmont coach Jane Coudret said. “Just like with the guys, we started with a focus on each individual stroke. We’ve sacrificed some training to get it done, but I believe it was important. We have good numbers, I just need to work on finding our best lineup.”
The Mounties return seniors Megan Scheidler and Cassidy Bowlin, junors Jordan Stanley and Bailey Barker, and sophmore Emily Smith. Coudret also expects freshman Marley Jones to make an immediate impact.
On the boys’ side, numbers are down with just eight swimmers with junior Trent Jones and sophomore Logan Harman returning.
“Our numbers are very small,” Coudret said. “It is difficult going into each meet knowing we are losing points just based on our numbers. There is a lot of teaching going on right now. Once we have been through the basics of each stroke, we can start to focus on our training.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic, the girls already lost their season opener. As the Mountie teams open tonight against Tri-West, Coudret knows the Mounties must keep working hard and be flexible to changes that are likely to come throughout the season.
“I think flexibility and communication are key to surviving this season,” she said. “The kids need to focus on controlling what they can control. As always, the objective is to work hard, improve and be competitive.”
