Sport-Blog.com
|
Sports News: ESPN | SI Leagues & Associations: NFL | NHL | MLB NBA | PGA | USTA Archives: Other: Resources |
<< Home
Meuer following in footsteps, Vikings trying to build winning tradition
Monday, October 30, 2006
Pardon the cliche, but often times the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Stoughton's (Wis.) standout freshman swimmer Carly Meuer is a prime example.
Meuer, along with an up-and-coming underclassman class, is helping breathe new life into the Vikings' program with her stellar performances in the pool.
Sally MacLaren-Meuer, Carly's mother and Stoughton's Director of Aquatics, is helping establish a winning mentality at Stoughton with her work out of the pool.
A powerful one-two-punch, the mother and daughter tandem could invoke a monumental turnaround in the Stoughton swimming program.
As for Meuer, she's always felt comfortable in the water.
MacLaren-Meuer coached swimming in Washington when Meuer was a child and opted to bring her to practices instead of leave her at home with a baby sitter.
"She's probably the main reason why I swam and why I still am swimming," Meuer said. "I'd always be at the pool and she would always get me in the water and just play around. So she's the reason why I'm still swimming right now, because she's my hero."
Growing up, Meuer was regaled with stories of her grandparents and parents swimming and watched as her older siblings took to the pool competitively.
As Meuer began to come into her own as a swimmer, her mother moved the family to Wisconsin.
MacLaren-Meuer wanted to do something she was passionate about, and while it wasn't related at all to what she studied in college, she found and accepted the aquatics director post as Stoughton.
MacLaren-Meuer couldn't have been happier.
Her arrival came on the heels of Stoughton High School constructing a nearly $4.5 million state-of-the art natatorium and immediately started assisting the Vikings' swimming programs.
She soon began assembling a feeder program in Stoughton and continues to develop STAR (Stoughton Aqua Racers).
Meuer entered Stoughton High School as a freshman this year and made a splash in the pool from the beginning.
She established herself as one of the team's fastest swimmers and has a chance to make waves in just her first postseason.
With Meuer a charge in the pool and MacLaren-Meuer establishing more interest and generating younger swimmers out of it, the pieces are falling into place for Stoughton's program to build a winning tradition.
MacLaren-Meuer said now that the high school and STAR teams can host a variety of meets, something they couldn't previously do in part because of the old pool's depth and outdated facility, she hopes it will get younger kids interested in swimming and, perhaps, add competitive depth to the high school programs, all while boosting the morale of Stoughton's current swimmers.
"It's going to come around, because Stoughton built that pool, they're going to have that power (to become a strong swimming program)."
She reiterated that she can tell from the swimmers' behavior in practices and meets that they take pride in their facility and hopes that will soon translate over to results in the water.
That was a sentiment Meuer agreed with.
"I definitely think it's a plus, coming to practice everyday and having this huge nice, new facility," Meuer said. "And it's nice to be able to host meets, it's definitely a plus."
Meuer said she has seen first-hand younger kids' accelerated interest in swimming and thinks incoming freshmen will continue to improve the team over the next few years.
"I definitely think that we're getting more depth on the team," Meuer said. "Because of the depth, I think our program is improving immensely and I really think that this year, compared to other years, we've been more successful. With the feeder teams ... our depth will get better and, on top of what we already have for the rest of the team right now, that will be awesome."
While they know it's not an overnight process, both Meuer and her mother agree with kids starting to swim earlier in life and taking pride in their facility, the Vikings aren't far off from establishing themselves as a swimming contender.
When all is said in done, Meuer again hopes to prove the apple and tree cliche right.
"I really would enjoy being a coach and kind of following in my mom's footsteps," Meuer said. "I really enjoy being able to teach people about swimming because I think it's an awesome sport and it's so much fun to do."
By spreading attitudes like that, Stoughton may be on the rise sooner than later.
The Vikings travel to the Badger South Conference meet on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Monona Grove High School.
1:35 PM
Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home
