Great Freshman Year for Kate, RHS swim team

Kate has been swimming since she was in the 1st grade.  She swims with Brooks Coville and Three Rivers Swim Club, and has always enjoyed the sport. While in middle school she participated at the home meets for Rome High. As she has developed as a swimmer, she has caught the competitive spirit and has already set records as a freshman in high school. I don't anticipate her going to the Olympics (and people always ask that question), but she eats, sleeps and breathes swimming.  

All through middle school she often out touched the high school swimmers. This year she is still winning and scoring points for the team.  In fact, the team did not lose all season in their weekly dual and three way meets. They participated in three invitational meets, where they finished 3rd, 1st and 8th.  The invitationals had as many as 30 teams!

Swimming is all about technique and fast times. Coach Coville is a technique coach.  Coach Powers, the high school coach, works on speed.  It's a great combo!  Kate has dropped times in every event this year, getting faster and stronger.  She is primarily a distance swimmer, but she can't sprint too. We call her the beast! And this year we have begun calling her Wonder Woman, which is her favorite 70's TV show!

A very young Kate with Coach Coville

Kate has changed so much since December 2012 when Randy retired.
The photo on the right is with Kenzie Bentz, a Berry student who helps coach the RHS team!

Kate, Coach Powers and teammate Charlynn

THE relay team!
They broke the 2004 school record in the 200 IM

Waiting on results at the Invitational!

They won the meet!!

State bound swimmers!

Kate has her usual cheering section at every meet - me, Dad, Aaron and Grandmommie.  On occasion Carrie will come and bring a friend or two.  At the Dalton Invitational we 'Face Timed' with Alyssa in Mississippi.  That was really exciting, especially since Kate dropped 5 seconds in her 500 freestyle! In fact, she has dropped 17 seconds in that event since November.  

Team Kate! 

There is a record board in the pool area at the high school.  Many of the girls' records are from 1999 and the early 2000's.  I am predicting new records over the next several years! 

At the beginning of the season there were three empty spaces on the board.  An empty space exist because no RHS swimmer has qualified for state in that event.  Kate's name will go up in one of those empty spaces for the 100 backstroke.  Here's the exciting night!  

Not many freshmen qualify for the state meet in an individual event, but Kate did it!  She was really close in a few other individual events. If her times continue to drop, then next year she could qualify in 5 individual events.  She will represent RHS next week at the state meet in 3 relays and the 100 backstroke. It's been fun to see Kate have success in something she loves!  We are the proud family!