Junior Amalie Fackenthal takes off from the diving block.
A new recruit for the team, long-time swimmer sophomore Emily Hayes, swam her best race ever (a 28.87-second 50-yard freestyle) at the meet at Rio Americano High School on April 20.
It was her first individual race on the SCDS swim team. Hayes, who has been swimming since she was 4 years old, also swims for the Glen Oaks Sea Lions. She said she plans on participating in all of the future SCDS swim meets that her schedule allows.
Since Hayes has a joint problem that makes it easy for her to injure her shoulders and knees, she is careful to avoid strenuous activities, such as the softball unit in the PE elective, on the days she swims.
Exact times for the meet are currently unknown as the scoreboard was malfunctioning, so the swimmers are providing their times.
But junior Amalie Fackenthal was less pleased with her performance.
Fackenthal swam a 59-second 100-yard backstroke and a 23.5-second 50-yard freestyle race.
However, she wasn’t happy with her performance in the 100-yard backstroke race because her goggles filled up with water.
And her 50-yard freestyle race was for practice, Fackenthal said.
“(Coach Brian Nabeta) had me work on specific things, such as catching more water with my hands and kicking more, so it was more of a trial run than a ‘get a good time’ swim,” Fackenthal said.
Sophomore Joe Zales swims in one of his two freestyle races.
Fackenthal hopes that by the Sac-Joaquin Section Championships from May 11-13, these techniques will come together, so she can finish under 23 seconds in the freestyle race.
“This season has been about perfecting my stroke,” Fackenthal said.
Freshman Rebecca Waterson said that because she has already qualified for sections, she doesn’t want her results published since it was a practice meet for her. However, she said she did fine considering it’s the end of the season.
Sophomore Joe Zales swam a 4:51 500-yard freestyle race, but his 200 freestyle time is currently unavailable.
Repeated requests for comment to coaches Brian Nabeta and Tyson Frenn were not returned.
Zales and Waterson will compete in the Sac-Joaquin League Championships on Saturday and Sunday, April 29-30.
—By Larkin Barnard-Bahn
