The Psych Sheet

Colorado Swimmers Show off in Front of the Cameras

If you haven’t checked out the streaming video from the Speedo Champions Series Western Region Sectional meet on Swimnetwork.com, I strongly recommend you run to your computer and pull it up. You’ll want to witness all those great swims being posted by Colorado swimmers. On the women’s side, our Centennial State swimmers continue to dominate. Tonight, individually Missy Franklin took home two wins -- the 100M Freestyle and in the 200M Backstroke where she smashed Bonnie Brandon’s meet record from a couple of years ago. In both events, the second-place finisher was also from Colorado – teammate Caroline Piehl in the free and Evergreen’s Lexie Malazdrewicz in the backstroke, who also qualified for the Open with her swim. STARS Christine Wixted swam to a first-place finish in the 200M Breaststroke also with an Open time while Kathryn Johnson of North Jeffco finished second and likewise qualified for the Open.

On the men’s side, Jared Markham scored a victory in the 200M Backstroke.

While you’re at your computer checking results, be sure to head over to Swimmingworldmagazine.com and cast your vote for Missy Franklin as the top female high school swimmer of the 2009-2010 season. Just look to the bottom, right corner of the home page. Voting closes Friday, and Missy is neck-in-neck with Dagny Knutson of North Dakota.

Almost Like Being There in Oregon

Swimnetwork.com is providing live streaming coverage of the 2010 Speedo Champions Series Western Region Sectionals, which kicks off this afternoon in Mt. Hood with the Men’s and Women’s 800M Free. I’m not sure if they are covering every heat of every event, but I’m sure hoping so given we have so many of Colorado’s top swimmers participating.

Mount Hood Aquatics is also posting real-time results on its site. If the long course version is anything like the short-course championships held in March in Seattle, it should be pretty exciting. Colorado made its mark at that meet with Missy Franklin of STARS nabbing the women’s high point award and Jared Markham of Greenwood Tiger Sharks taking home the grand prize on the men’s side. Both are participating this week, but for each of them along with some of the state’s other elite swimmers, this meet is just a warm up to two weeks of competition in Irvine, Calif., host for both the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships Aug. 3-7 and the 2010 Speedo Junior National Championships Aug. 9-13.

Bottom line, it should be an exciting three weeks of swimming coming up as we get ready to bid adieu to the long course season.

Two Colorado Swimmers Tapped for Elite Team

Two Colorado swimmers have been selected to compete in the 2010 U.S. Youth Olympic Games in Singapore this August. Congratulations to Steve Schmuhl of Boulder Swimming and Jordan Mattern of Colorado Stars. 

The two were named late last week by USA Swimming to this highly selective team of only eight competitors. According to USA Swimming, the selection was made based on a variety of factors. As mandated by the Youth Olympic Games, every female swimmer had to have been born between 1993 and 1994 while the male swimmers' birth date has to fall in either 1992 or 1993. Each athlete also had to achieve a FINA Youth Olympic Games “A” time standard at a FINA approved competition. The four highest-ranking males and females meeting those criteria were nominated to the team.

Additionally they could not be a member of the 2009-2010 National Youth Team nor participate in the 2010 Junior Pan Pacific Championships or the 2010 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships, both of which are also scheduled for August.

Schmuhl and Mattern's selection is a testament not only to their incredible strength as individuals, but also swimming in Colorado, which is representing one-fourth of the team. The two will travel to Singapore from August 14-26 with the swimming competition running Aug. 15-20.

Sexual Abuse by Some Coaches Mars Sport

Competitive swimming is once again making headlines, but this time it isn’t high-tech suits or amazing aquatic feats spurring the attention. Unfortunately, it’s the darker side of the sport – swimmers being sexually abused by their coaches.

Last month a California attorney filed a lawsuit naming USA Swimming among others charging that there is “a culture in youth swimming that ignores widespread sexual abuse by coaches.”

On Friday night 20/20 aired an investigative story into the allegations. The upshot – 36 coaches in the past 10 years have been suspended for life by USA Swimming for sexually abusing their swimmers.

As a journalist (I formerly worked for daily newspapers), I would definitely call the treatment of the story by 20/20 sensational. It was a full-on attack on USA Swimming. Rightfully or wrongly, to be honest, is less of a concern.

The issue is much broader than whether USA Swimming is doing all it can to prevent sexual abuse in the sport. (I don’t think it is, and am frankly shocked that the organization only started requiring criminal background checks four years ago, and that those criminal checks only go back three years). And if the allegations that the organization ignored the problem are true, that, too, is unconscionable.

The bigger issue, however, is sexual abuse itself, and if this scandal can draw attention to this epidemic, and I do mean epidemic, I’m all for it. The statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and U.S. Justice Department studies on sexual abuse are staggering:

•  1 in 4 girls is sexually abused before the age of 18.

•  1 in 6 boys is sexually abused before the age of 18.

•  1 in 5 children are solicited sexually while on the internet.

• 90 percent of children who are sexually abused know their abuser

As for who is responsible in remedying this situation in swimming and society at large, ultimately as adults, we all are. To be honest, USA Swimming is far too removed. There are 12,000 coaches in USA Swimming.

We, as parents, have to have procedures in place that will, at the very least, inhibit sexual abuse. When that comes to youth organizations, Darkness to Light, a non-profit focused on raising awareness on the issue, suggests the following:

•       Create and lobby for policies reducing or eliminating one-adult/one-child situations These policies should ensure that all activities can be interrupted and observed.

•    Talk with program administrators about the supervision of older youth who have responsibility for the care of children.

•      Insist on screenings that include criminal background checks, personal interviews, and professional recommendations for all adults who serve children. Avoid programs that do not use ALL of these methods.

•     Insist that youth-serving organizations train their staff and volunteers to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.

•     Ensure that youth-serving organizations have policies for dealing with suspicious situations and reports of abuse.

If you’ve never asked what policies your team has in place, I encourage you to call your coach or parent board tomorrow. Don’t be shy about asking the tough questions. If you know of a problem or have suspicions, report the suspected abuse to authorities who are trained to deal with the problem.

Do these measures seem too alarmist or extreme?

Just go back to the statistics above – 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. Given that, how can you be too cautious?

As stated by Darkness to Light: “Realities—not trust—should influence your decisions regarding your child.”

 

Colorado Swimmers Keep Making Their Mark

WOW! What an amazing week of swimming, and the racing isn’t over yet. Last week I spent three days at my final (as a swim mom) Colorado 14& Under State Championships , where the swimmers just keep getting faster and faster.

Now I’m in Federal Way, Wash., at the Speedo Western Sectional Championships where Colorado swimmers truly shine and impress, and frankly that’s a lot of fun. It’s one thing to astound the home crowd, but quite fun to have folks in the bleachers utter in amazement at the likes of Colorado STARS Missy Franklin, 14, and the legions of other Colorado swimmers leading the pack. 

Last night was particularly exciting as Franklin and Jared Markham, 16, of Greenwood Tiger Sharks broke a total of three National Age Group records. Now, it’s great to set a meet record, get a Junior cut or even National’s cut, but to be the FASTEST person to ever swim your race at your age, that’s downright mind blowing.

Franklin broke two of her own records – the 13-14 100Y Free with a time of 47.94 – and the 13-14 200Y Backstroke with a 1:51.07, reportedly the third fastest time swam by any US woman this year!

Markham, meanwhile, smashed the 15-16 200Y Backstroke record of 1:44.82 held by Kip Darmody of North Carolina with a swim of 1:43.66.

And there’s still three full days of competition left here so expect more incredible races, and possibly another few NAGs from Franklin. Looming on the horizon is Dara Torres’ 13-14 50Y Free record of 22.44 set in 1982. Franklin’s seed time is a 22.49. There’s also Katie Hoff’s 13-14 200Y IM time of 1:57.76 Franklin goes in with a 1:58.17.

Who knows? That’s what makes swimming so much fun. On any given day, anyone can have an extraordinary race, and that’s true whether you’re setting a new NAG record or just posting your own personal best.

Hats off to some awe-inspiring swims, and a happy birthday to the top swimmer in my book -- my daughter who turns 15 today.

 

 

High School State Meet Lives Up to Expectations and Then Some

Last year when I attended the Girls 5A High School State Championships strictly as a spectator, I couldn’t believe the energy. It was definitely the most exciting swim meet I had been to and even more electric, in some ways, than the 2008 Olympic Trials.

This year, however, was a whole new level of excitement as I made the transition to high school swim mom. Now my daughter was part of a high school team.

Make no mistake. There’s a huge difference between representing your club team and competing for your high school. Swimming really is a very individual sport. When it comes to racing, other than relays, the results are squarely on your shoulders. You either perform to par, or you don’t. It’s not a teammate that has a bad start, sloppy turn or poor finish.

But swimming for your high school team truly transforms this individual sport into a team endeavor, and no where is that more evident than at the state championship meet. Each swimmer and the school they represent are announced, which means you may dive in as Jane Doe swimming the 100Y Freestyle, but it’s not Jane Doe who finished first as much as ABC High School who took the race.

It’s also when swimming really becomes a spectator sport. The stands were filled to capacity.
To the left of us sat the huge section of Regis Jesuit High School fans, nearly all in red and enthusiastically waving their rally towels. To the right was the loud Cherry Creek High School cheering section of parents, students and friends. In between were blocks of various smaller schools, all as vociferous as they could manage.

Before the competition got underway, several teams down on deck led cheers while their supporters from the stands chimed in.

Then, of course, there was the competition itself -- incredible swims and outrageous races. Closest overall race of the evening went to the 100Y Breaststroke consulation heat where the difference between all eight swimmers was just .73!

To be honest, I wasn’t sure how fast the meet would be this year without the full-body high-tech suits, but as I weekly scanned the top swim results, it became clear that the girls were laying down the times. So I wasn’t that surprised to see the records eclipsed. However, I didn’t think it would be ALL the records but two.

Given that none of the individual events were won by a senior, and the freshman class behind Franklin is extremely strong, I’m expecting this speedy streak to continue for at least the next few years. Congrats to everyone on a wonderful state meet.

Here are all the results from yesterday’s finals, including diving, where it should be noted, the state record was not broken.

Women 200Y Medley Relay

1. Cherry Creek, 1:41.88 (previous record 1:43.75 set 2009)
2. Regis Jesuit, 1:43.29
3. Rampart, 1:48.50
4. Fairview, 1:48.61
5. Heritage, 1:49.49
6. Arapahoe, 1:50.07
7. Monarch, 1:51.85
8. Boulder, 1:52.2
9. Littleton, 1:53.54
10. Chaparral, 1:54.79
11. Mountain Vista, 1:54.91
12. Grandview, 1:55.48
13. *Loveland, 1:55.74
14. *Doherty, 1:55.74
15. Smoky Hill, 1:55.8
16.  Air Academy, 1:57.79

Women 200Y Freestyle

1. Jordan Mattern,  Jr. Cherry Creek, 1:48.82 (previous record 1:49.25 set Friday)
2. Hillary Thomas, Jr. Regis Jesuit, 1:50.85
3. Anna Labozan, Jr., Monarch, 1:52.45
4. Abigail Houck, Fr., Fairview, 1:54.55
5. McKenna Newsum-Schoenberg, Jr, Cherry Creek, 1:55.39
6. Kristen Haeger, So., Ralston Valley, 1:55.49
7. Megan Grier, Fr., Regis Jesuit, 1:55.68
8. Shelly Patton, So., Heritage, 1:56.99
9. Elizabeth Anderson, So., Fairview, 1:56.30
10. Hannah Cox, Sr., Dakota Ridge, 1:56.42
11. Julie Anderson, Sr., Fairview, 1:56.48
12. Maggie Burkhardt, So., Denver East, 1:56.49
13. Meghan Varner, Sr., Boulder, 1:58.07
14. Rachel Crino, So., Cherry Creek, 1:58.55
15. Emily Mayo, Fr., Arapahoe, 1:58.80
16. Alison Bischoff, So., Chaparral, 1:59.56

Women 200Y IM

1. Bonnie Brandon, So., Cherry Creek, 2:02.09 (previous record 2:03.87)
2. Christine Wixted, Sr., Cherry Creek, 2:02.91
3. Caroline Piehl, Jr., Smoky Hill, 2:03.71
4. Kyrene Clarke, Sr., Rampart, 2:08.50
5. Mary Scraggs, So., Fairview, 2:10.43
6. Lauren Stoeckle, So., Regis Jesuit, 2:11.23
7. Alex Todd, Jr., Regis Jesuit, 2:11.37
8. Cayla Wood, Sr., Grandview, 2:11.
9. Lauren Rigg, Sr., Fairview, 2:12.99
10. Makenna Wilson, Fr., Chaparral, 2:12.78
11. Caroline Patterson, Jr., Fairview, 2:13.72
12. Whitney Dougherty, Sr., Monarch, 2:13.80
13. Sydney Pair, Jr., Fairview, 2:13.91
14. Elizabeth Oster, Jr., Cherry Creek, 2:14.01
15. Miranda Reetz, Fr., Arapahoe, 2:14.02
16. Sarah James, Fr., Doherty, 2:14.62

Women 50Y Freestyle

1. Missy Franklin, Fr., Regis Jesuit, 22.49 (previous record 22.70 set on Friday)
2. Jenna Gregoire, Sr., Rampart, 23.86
3. Patricia Nelson, Sr., Fort Collins, 24.01
4. Andrea Slouka, Sr., Heritage, 24.44
5. Siobhan Hengemuhle, Jr., Boulder, 24.52
6. Laura Kollar, Sr., Fort Collins, 24.64
7. Gretchen Cohen, Sr., Cherry Creek, 24.72
8. Kylie Rathbone, Sr., 24.80
9. *Elaine Powell, Fr., Cherry Creek, 24.8
10. *Delaney Lanker, Fr., Regis Jesuit, 24.83
11. Emily Scraggs, Sr., Fairview, 24.89
12. Fiona Kane, So., Cherry Creek, 25.08
13. Kianna Lee, Fr., Grandview, 25.10
14. Gabby Smith, Jr., Rocky Mountain, 25.11
15. Lacey Smith, Fr., Fairview, 25.13
16. Elysia Erickson, So., Smoky Hill, 25.29

Women 1 Meter Diving

1. Michal Bower, Fr., Loveland, 489.15
2. Beth Ambrozic, Sr., Arapahoe, 442.35
3. Max Thorn, Sr. Loveland, 430.45
4. Melissa Bollig, Sr. Douglas County, 422.10
5. Breannna Hemming, Jr., Ponderosa, 416.60
6. Lizzy Linsmayer, Sr., Denver East, 410.20
7. Raleigh Williams, Sr. Ralston Valley, 409.90
8. Mady Ingmire, So., Thunder Ridge, 406.25
9. Jessica Heap, Sr., Grandview, 405:90
10. Chanley, Burge, So., Loveland, 398.45
11. Paige Gaydos, Sr., Smoky Hill, 379.50
12. Dani Howe, Sr., Arapahoe, 373.45
13. Casey Nelson, Senior, Cherry Creek, 347.10
14. Demetria Longo, Fr., Grandview, 330.50
15. Jayme Owens, So., Mountain Range, 324.15
16. Aubrie Weiner, Sr., Cherry Creek, 317.05

Women 100Y Butterfly

1. Kelly Naze, So., Cherry Creek 54.25 (previous record 54.44 set on Friday)
2. Alex Todd, Jr., Regis Jesuit, 56.61
3. Delaney Lanker, Fr., Regis Jesuit, 58.09
4. Miranda Morton, Jr., Regis Jesuit, 58.35
5. Yana Garvey, Sr., Mountain Vista, 58.39
6. Ashely Horodyski, So, Columbine, 58.58
7. Hannah Chase, Jr., Regis Jesuit, 58.63
8. McKenna Newsum-Schoenberg, Jr., Cherry Creek, 58.69
9. Maggie Burkhardt, So., Denver East, 59.62
10. Abby Dorfman, Jr., Cherry Creek, 59.63
11. Lauren Rigg, Sr., Fairview, 59.70
12. Jordan Matthews, Sr., Loveland, 1:00.03
13. Sara Nash, Fr., Legacy, 1:00.44
14. Cayla Wood, Sr., Grandview, 1:00.75
15. Mary Scraggs, So., Fairview, 1:00.83
16. Breanna Hemming, Jr. Ponderosa, 1:01.24

Women 100Y Freestyle

1. Jordan Mattern, Jr. Cherry Creek, 51.08
2. Jenna Gregoire, Sr., Rampart, 51.13
3. Caroline Piehl, Jr., Smoky Hill, 51.21
4. Hillary Thomas, Jr., Regis Jesuit, 51.71
5. Anna Labozan, Jr., Monarch, 52.35
6. Andrea Slouka, Sr., Heritage, 52.46
7. Patricia Nelson, Sr., Fort Collins, 53.18
8. Taylor DeBever, Sr., Regis Jesuit, 53.44
9. Emily Scraggs, Sr., Fairview, 53.91
10. Siobhan Hengemuhle, Jr., Boulder, 53.93
11. Megan Grier, Fr., Regis Jesuit, 53.99
12. Fiona Kane, So., Cherry Creek, 54.23
13. Lacey Smith, Fr., Fairview, 54.51
14. Hannah Cox, Sr., Dakota Ridge, 54.60
15. Emily Mayo, Fr., Arapahoe, 54.61
16. Kianna Lee, Fr., Grandview, 54.67

Women 500Y Freestyle

1. Bonnie Brandon, So., Cherry Creek, 4:51.56 (previous record 4:53.47 set in 2007)
2. Abigail Houck, Fr. Fairview, 5:03.86
3. Katie Naze, Sr., Cherry Creek, 5:06.23
4. Julie Anderson, Sr., Fairview, 5:07.03
5. Elizabeth Anderson, So., Fairview, 5:08.55
6. Jaclyn Best, Sr., Boulder, 5:13.70
7. Kristen Haeger, So., Ralston Valley, 5:15.49
8. Ruthie Pappas, Sr., Ralson Valley, 5:17.77
9. Katherine Glassner, Sr., 5:12.99
10. Sydney Pair, Jr., Fairview, 5:13.86
11. Savannah Rose, Fr., Arapahoe, 5:14.03
12. Paula Stoddard, So., Mountain Vista, 5:18.70
13. Barbara Barocio, Fr., Gateway, 5:18.91
14. Bridget Louis, So., Arapahoe, 5:19.25
15. Abby Dorfman, Jr., Cherry Creek, 5:19.66
16. Briana Purkapile, Sr., Chaparral, 5:21.88

Women 200Y Freestyle Relay

1. Cherry Creek, 1:37.17
2. Regis Jesuit, 1:38.01
3. Smoky Hill, 1:39.30
4. Rampart, 1:39.60
5. Heritage, 1:39.76
6. Fairview, 1:40.14
7. Arapahoe, 1:42.14
8. Fort Collins, 1:43.1
9. Chatfield Senior, 1:41.84
10. Littleton, 1:42.73
11. Ralston Valley, 1:43.06
12. Monarch, 1:43.47
13. Boulder, 1:43.66
14. *Ponderosa, 1:43.68
15. *Rocky Mountain 1:43.68
16. Coronado 1:46.61

Women 100Y Backstroke

1. Missy Franklin, Fr., Regis Jesuit, 53.16 (previous record of 53.43 set on Friday)
2. Shelly Patton, So., Heritage, 56.48
3. Yana Garvey, Sr., Mountain Vista, 57.34
4. Sarah James, Fr., Doherty, 57.80
5. Gretchen Cohen, Sr., Cherry Creek, 58.35
6. Caroline Patterson, Jr. Fairview, 58.41
7. Makenna Wilson, Fr., Chaparral, 58.62
8. Katie Naze, Sr., Cherry Creek, 58.80
9. Sara Nash, Fr., Legacy, 58.94
10. Laura Kollar, Sr., Fort Collins, 59.16
11. Rachel Crino, So., Cherry Creek, 59.40
12. Ailey Ruger, Sr. Boulder, 59.75
13. Kassy Brisch, So., Heritage, 1:00.22
14. Elizabeth Oster, Jr., Cherry Creek, 1:00.41
15. Melissa Tillman, Jr. Monarch, 1:01.77
16. Taylor DeBever, Sr., 1:01.86

Women 100Y Breaststroke

1. Kelly Naze, So., Cherry Creek, 1:02.47 (previous record set on Friday)
2. Christine Wixted, Sr., Cherry Creek, 1:03.15
3. Lauren Stoeckle, So., Regis Jesuit, 1:06.12
4. Kyrene Clarke, Sr., Rampart, 1:06.29
5. Janaye Monica, Fr., Fairview, 1:06.40
6. Kourtney Fosse, So, Fairview, 1:06.69
7. Kylie Rathbone, Sr., Lakewood, 1:07.04
8. Megan Perron, Sr., Arapahoe, 1:07.09
9. Hannah Bower, So., Boulder, 1:09.14
10. Amanda Sanders, Fr., Monarch, 1:09.32
11. Whitney Dougherty, Sr., Mondarch, 1:09.34
12. Meagan Smith, Jr., Regis Jesuit, 1:09.53
13. Jackie Macke, So., Regis Jesuit, 1:09.55
14. Erin Hayes, So., Highlands Ranch, 1:09.62
15. Kim Utter, Sr., Littleton, 1:09.64
16. Jordan Matthews, Sr., Loveland, 1:09.87

Women 400Y Freestyle Relay

1. Cherry Creek, 3:24.85 (previous record 3:27.08 set in 2009)
2. Regis Jesuit, 3:24.90
3. Heritage, 3:34.82
4. Fairview, 3:35.37
5. Smoky Hill, 3:38.01
6. Monarch, 3:38.75
7. Boulder, 3:39.65
8. Ralston Valley, 3:41.
9. Arapahoe, 3:41.02
10. Grandview, 3:41.56
11. Loveland, 3:42.99
12. Chaparral, 3:43.39
13. Mountain Vista, 3:43.71
14. Ponderosa, 3:47.85
15. Fort Collins, 3:49.43
16. Littleton, 3:49.56

Special awards:

2010 Co-Swimmers – Jenna Gregoire, who heads to Harvard, and Christine Wixted, who signed with Duke

2010 Swim Coach – Scott Cohen, Smoky Hill

2010 Divers – Lizzy Linsmayer, Denver East

2010 Co-Diving Coaches – Barb Ambrozic of Arapahoe and Jake Barber, Denver East