Swimmers to make Div. I debut

Blair's swimming and diving team will face some challenges this season since they are now competing with the county's top six teams in Division I after placing second in Division II last year.

Coach David Swaney believes the girls will struggle, but he hopes that the boys will be able to end up in the top half of the division with the help of some fast newcomers. "The boys may surprise us," he said. "I'm amazed at some of the times of the incoming freshman." Freshmen Tyler Wilcheck and Dan Donnelly are expected to help returning seniors Ian Mackinnon, Andrew Lee, David Madej, Pete Johnson and Tom Johnson compete with their stronger competition this year.

Co-captain Tom Johnson has high hopes for the boys because of the freshmen's performance at time trials. "At tryouts, things were really exciting with the new freshmen because they competed with star veterans," he said. Fewer than 35 boys tried out for the team, but Johnson predicted that the boys' team will be successful, despite the lack of depth.

Freshmen Kelsey Dean and Diana Frey will add speed to the girls' team, which will depend almost exclusively on returning talent from senior Leah Cowdrey. Junior Abby Graber also returns with her strong backstroke. Extra help for the girls could come from senior Charlotte Littlehales--who joins the girls for the first time this year--as well as from improved sophomore Emma Karey.

Blair divers are looking forward to a successful season. In the first year that the diving team has ever made cuts, several new upperclassmen have joined the team. Junior Elizabeth Finn, Blair's current record-holder for girls' diving, is expected to perform well this year as well as returning senior Ilene Arnsdorf. Two senior "gymnasts-turned-divers," Jessica Stamler and Anita Sanger, will add depth to the "solid" girls' diving squad this season, said Swaney.

Last year, Blair swimmers placed second overall in Division II behind Wootton High School. The boys finished second in the county after Walter Johnson High School, a Division I competetor that Swaney thinks the Blazers can beat since key Wildcats graduated.