Mount Vernon News

MOUNT VERNON — For the last decade, Mount Vernon’s Kellyn Caldwell and Sarah Freshwater have made quite a team. From the time they were only 9 years old, the pair have pushed one another in the pool, and together they hope to advance once again to the 2007 Ohio High School Athletic Association’s state swim meet.

Caldwell has advanced to the state level every year since her freshman year, while Freshwater advanced for the first time last year.

“This is a very special year for them,” said Mount Vernon swim coach Kris Caldwell. “This is the year that they really want to finish with a memorable feel. With it being their senior year, they have nothing to lose. They just want to finish with their best possible year.”

This year has already seen Freshwater swim faster than she did last year. She has swum the butterfly in one minute several times, where as last year she was in the 1:01, 1:02 range. According to Caldwell, she will need a be under a minute to do well at state.

Caldwell’s bread and butter event is the 200-yard individual medley. She had gone to state every year in the event, and will need to pick a second event in which to participate.

“Her second event is always a question mark. The first two years she did the backstroke, and last year she chose freestyle as a second event,” said coach Caldwell. “This year we will just have to wait and see what she feels is her strongest at the particular time. The hard thing about high school swimming is the fact that you can only advance in two events. Since she is an IM swimmer, she is good in all four strokes, so she has to pick just one.”

Both girls are very focused on making this season one of their best ever. Caldwell spent the summer training with a team of Olympic hopefuls, and both girls are putting in a lot of extra time in the pool.

“They raise the bar,” said coach Caldwell of the pair of swimmers. “When you have swimmers going to state, the kids can see that long-range vision. Then, having those two on our relays team elevates the relays to be that much stronger at the district level. We can look forward to going to districts and scoring, and competing well, rather than simply making to districts.”

The Mount Vernon team not only anticipates sending the two to the state level individually, but they would also like to advance with a relay team. With Caldwell and Freshwater both in a relay, the Jackets have a strong chance of doing just that.

The swimmers already have a good idea what they will be doing after this season as well. Both girls are going to be competing at the collegiate level next year. Unfortunately, they will be on different teams. Caldwell is already accepted to attend Kenyon College, while Freshwater is currently hoping to attend the U.S. Naval Academy.

At Kenyon, Caldwell will be able to compete nationally, while still attend a smaller school. The Kenyon program is just as strong as most of the large Division I universities, and Caldwell anticipates training for the next Olympics in her home pool.

“The Naval Academy is her number one choice, but she’s also applied to Franklin and Marshall,” said coach Caldwell of Freshwater. “I’m sure she will be on either school’s team, so swimming is definitely a large part of her future.”

The Mount Vernon swimming tandem will be competing once again on Friday, in a home meet against Reynoldsburg and Olentangy Liberty. The meet will start at 4:30 in the afternoon at the Kenyon Athletic Center in Gambier.