The Vero Beach High swim and dive team sent 27 participants to the district tournament today with the expectation that half will advance to the regional round next Saturday and eight will qualify for the state championships Nov. 14.
While nothing is etched in stone, Head Coach Aaron Mabry based that hope on strong regular-season results as well as superior performances by some team members in all types of competition.
“This is my first year at Vero,” Mabry said. “When I first came in, I talked a lot with one of the coaches from last year and the athletic director to get a feel for what their approach was. With my assistants we formulated our own style of coaching, but we didn’t want to make too many waves as far as changing everything right away.”
That was wise, since five of the eight state hopefuls are seniors. Nevertheless, Mabry will undoubtedly have a chance to make an impact with the junior and two freshmen also in that group.
Mabry coached swimming at John Carroll for a year during a four-year stay there, and before that, was a competitive swimmer for 13 years. When the position at Vero opened up, she “jumped on it to be the head coach of a great swim team.
“I inherited a lot of swimmers and this team is awesome. We have 44 on the team, with 12 senior swimmers and one senior diver. They really stepped up in helping to run this team and getting me acclimated with traditions.”
Jordan Gulino is the only diver for a team that trains primarily at Leisure Square and the Aquatics Center at St. Ed’s. He is one of those expected to place at states.
Mabry utilizes a training regimen that has kept up with the times. “I believe in quality over quantity. My shoulder was injured from the years when the training technique was doing 10,000 yards every day, or high-mileage swimming.
“We have a lot of workouts with our swimmers out of the water. Every day we have a half-hour interval for yoga instruction. We try to build strength outside the water so they can be a lot faster in the water.
“We also get in the water with the kids for clinics and stroke analysis. So it’s a little different. I tell them competitive swimming is very much a mental game. You are racing other people, but in reality you are racing yourself. I want them to be the best version of themselves.”
The body-mind approach will first be taken to districts, but Mabry is “looking all the way to states. I know we will make it to regionals in multiple boys and girls individual events and at least a couple of relay races. At states I will have two boys and one girl competing as individuals.
Senior George Katilus, junior John LaLime and freshman Elizabeth Richardson are the trio Mabry believes will place at states. Katilus excels in the 100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke. LaLime will swim the 500 and 200 free. Richardson has won races in the 100 backstroke and 200 individual medley.
Mabry also has high hopes for one relay team. The other swimmers projected for a trip to states are seniors Chris Long, Zach Roberts, Thomas Sigaty and freshman Kendall Schlitt.
LaLime has an extensive workout regimen to augment his top level talent. This will not be his first shot at the best in the state.
“On Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings I swim from 5:45 to 6:30,” Lalime said. “Tuesdays and Thursdays I go to the gym in the morning before school. In the afternoon from 2:30 to 5:30 I swim with my club team [at St. Ed’s] except on Wednesday when I practice with the varsity team [at Leisure Square].
“I’ve been swimming since I was 7. My parents said that I needed to choose a sport, and I just picked swimming out of a hat, I guess. I fell in love with it and do it year-round. It’s a big commitment but it’s a lot of fun.”
LaLime made it to states last year in the 500 free and this year is favored to make the leap to the finals.
Senior Barrett Jellie chose swimming as her sport because she was not comfortable being landlocked. She has been a regular at the district meet and genuinely enjoys being on the team. She also wins some races.
“I swim the 500 free and won that event at St. Edward’s (Oct. 7),” Jellie said. “It was pretty exciting because we won as a team. That’s my favorite event personally.
“I also swim the 100 backstroke individually and for the 200 medley relay. I started swimming with the club team [at St. Ed’s] in eighth grade and I‘ve been on the varsity since freshman year. I started because swimming was a little different and I hate the land [sports].
“Our team is very close. We celebrate a victory and mourn a loss together (usually over a bite a Chili’s). Everybody has been training hard and swimming well. Districts is a higher level of competition and we’ll be cheering each other on. I think a lot of people will make it to regionals, and states too.”
Mabry said, “I love these kids, they are so sweet. Swimmers are generally very good kids. They are smart, motivated and work hard for me. And we have fun, which is nice.”