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Trying something new
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| H&N photo by Todd E. Swenson Klamath Basin Aquatics’ Ethan Zimmer takes a breath during the breaststroke portion of his 400-yard individual medley race in the boys 13-and-older division at the Great Basin Invitational swim meet Friday at Ella Redkey Pool. |
First-year swimmer Vanessa Franklin tries her hand at the 500
June 30, 2007
A competitive swimmer for less than a year, Vanessa Franklin took on a new challenge Friday on the first day of action at the Great Basin Invitational meet at the Ella Redkey Municipal Pool.
The 15-year-old Henley student was one of many swimmers to compete in the 500-yard freestyle, often the longest race of a meet.
Franklin said her coach, Dan Zimmer, wanted her to swim the longer race.
“I guess I had a choice, but it was either swim (the 500) or the 200 backstroke, and I don’t like the backstroke,” she said.
Franklin’s first foray into the 500 resulted in a swim of eight minutes, 15.16 seconds in a race a number of veteran age-group and high school swimmers routinely compete in.
Her toughest race out of the way, Franklin, and many other swimmers, now can focus on their favorite events when the three-day meet resumes at 9 a.m. today with just under 200 swimmers from throughout Oregon and Northern California.
The meet concludes at 9 a.m. Sunday.
“I was nervous,” Franklin said of the 500. “My heart was beating fast, but I wasn’t going very fast. I didn’t want to get tired at the end. I knew I would finish, but I didn’t want to freak out in the water. If I did that, I would be slower than I wanted.”
Franklin said she was not sure what to expect with the longer race and had asked teammate Kevin Ortiz-Urciuoli about the race.
“I didn’t set a time I wanted to swim, but I did ask Kevin about the first time he did the 500 and he told me it was around a 7:37, but I didn’t want to compare myself to other people’s times.”
The race was won by Nycole Klauder in 5:20.84, a veteran swimmer who competes with the Oregon Water Wolves.
Franklin is among the swimmers from the host Klamath Basin Aquatics team, which is hosting one of the longest continuous sporting events held in Klamath County.
She returns to the pool over the next two days in some of her favorite events, the 50 and 100 freestyle, 100 breaststroke and relays.
“Dan (Zimmer, the KBA coach) picked out my events this time,” Franklin said of this weekend’s meet, one of two summer swimming events in the Klamath Basin.
The two local teams will head to Lakeview July 13-15.
Franklin said she was introduced to competitive swimming by her stop-mother, Valerie. “Both of her kids swam,” she said and Franklin decided to go out for the Henley team last November.
Friday’s openers
Zimmer said a few events were moved to Friday “to see how many swimmers might show up and to help spread the events out.” Among those is the 500, which traditionally is among the final races held on Sunday.
Friday’s events were the boys and girls 12-under 200-yard individual medley, the boys and girls 13-over 400 individual medley and the boys and girls 12-under 200 freestyle along with the long race.
Klauder and her sister Jessie, along with Lexi Healy of the Water Wolves, each won two events within their respective age divisions, as did Kari Woodward of the host team.
Swimmers from KBA and the Water Wolves are being joined by Grants Pass Aquatics, Grants Pass Swim Club, Cascade of Redmond, Bend Swim Team, Prineville Swim Team and the Superior Stingrays from Medford. The lone California team is the Crescent City Swim Club.
- By Steve Matthies
June 30, 2007
A competitive swimmer for less than a year, Vanessa Franklin took on a new challenge Friday on the first day of action at the Great Basin Invitational meet at the Ella Redkey Municipal Pool.
The 15-year-old Henley student was one of many swimmers to compete in the 500-yard freestyle, often the longest race of a meet.
Franklin said her coach, Dan Zimmer, wanted her to swim the longer race.
“I guess I had a choice, but it was either swim (the 500) or the 200 backstroke, and I don’t like the backstroke,” she said.
Franklin’s first foray into the 500 resulted in a swim of eight minutes, 15.16 seconds in a race a number of veteran age-group and high school swimmers routinely compete in.
Her toughest race out of the way, Franklin, and many other swimmers, now can focus on their favorite events when the three-day meet resumes at 9 a.m. today with just under 200 swimmers from throughout Oregon and Northern California.
The meet concludes at 9 a.m. Sunday.
“I was nervous,” Franklin said of the 500. “My heart was beating fast, but I wasn’t going very fast. I didn’t want to get tired at the end. I knew I would finish, but I didn’t want to freak out in the water. If I did that, I would be slower than I wanted.”
Franklin said she was not sure what to expect with the longer race and had asked teammate Kevin Ortiz-Urciuoli about the race.
“I didn’t set a time I wanted to swim, but I did ask Kevin about the first time he did the 500 and he told me it was around a 7:37, but I didn’t want to compare myself to other people’s times.”
The race was won by Nycole Klauder in 5:20.84, a veteran swimmer who competes with the Oregon Water Wolves.
Franklin is among the swimmers from the host Klamath Basin Aquatics team, which is hosting one of the longest continuous sporting events held in Klamath County.
She returns to the pool over the next two days in some of her favorite events, the 50 and 100 freestyle, 100 breaststroke and relays.
“Dan (Zimmer, the KBA coach) picked out my events this time,” Franklin said of this weekend’s meet, one of two summer swimming events in the Klamath Basin.
The two local teams will head to Lakeview July 13-15.
Franklin said she was introduced to competitive swimming by her stop-mother, Valerie. “Both of her kids swam,” she said and Franklin decided to go out for the Henley team last November.
Friday’s openers
Zimmer said a few events were moved to Friday “to see how many swimmers might show up and to help spread the events out.” Among those is the 500, which traditionally is among the final races held on Sunday.
Friday’s events were the boys and girls 12-under 200-yard individual medley, the boys and girls 13-over 400 individual medley and the boys and girls 12-under 200 freestyle along with the long race.
Klauder and her sister Jessie, along with Lexi Healy of the Water Wolves, each won two events within their respective age divisions, as did Kari Woodward of the host team.
Swimmers from KBA and the Water Wolves are being joined by Grants Pass Aquatics, Grants Pass Swim Club, Cascade of Redmond, Bend Swim Team, Prineville Swim Team and the Superior Stingrays from Medford. The lone California team is the Crescent City Swim Club.
- By Steve Matthies
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Bill Hoffman wrote on Apr 10, 2008 10:07 AM:
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CO Stampede, #45 "
Respectfully submitted,
Bill Hoffman
CO Stampede, #45 "
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