State meet experience should benefit Northwest swimmers next year and beyond

    March 3, 2006

    by Chris Helterbrand 

    Their final finishes may have been lost in the shuffle at last weekend's Class 4A state meet, but members of the Northwest boys relay teams say the state experience will serve them well.
    The lessons learned from competing in a state meet are expected to come in handy when Northwest begins competing in Class 5A next year.
    Northwest swim coach Steve Melbourn said the Texans had barely left Austin when talk began about what it will take for the squad to improve next year.
    "They were saying, 'What can we do now?," Melbourn said. "They're talking about getting into club swimming, maybe adding an extra workout in the afternoon. They're ready to face the challenge."
    Five Texans—all sophomores—qualified for the trip to Austin to compete in several relay events, including the 200 medley relay, as well as the 200 and 400 freestyle relays.
    The 200 freestyle relay team, consisting of John Woolridge, Jason Armstrong, Brad Eichenseer and Chance Daniel, posted the Texans' highest finish by placing sixth in Saturday's final with a time of 1 minute, 31.50 seconds.
    Northwest's district foe Frisco won the Class 4A boys team championship for the second consecutive year, with the Texarkana boyos team claiming the runner-up spot.
    This was the second trip to state for Woolridge and Armstrong, but it was uncharted territory for the other Northwest swimmers.
    Woolridge said that prompted the Texans to set realistic goals going into the meet, goals he felt they were able to reach.
    "We watched the films of past meets and looked for our individual times," said Woolridge. "We did our best and that's all we could have expected. It was definitely a great learning experience.
    Daniel enjoyed the opportunity as well.
    "it was an eye-opener," he said. "It should prepare us for next year when we move up to 5A. Hopefully, we'll be able to go back and take it even further."
    Daniel said he and his teammates have ll agreed to dedicate themselves to the sport for at least for the next two years."
    "We all want to get through our senior year and see how amazing it can be," Daniel said. "Coach Melbourn says we've got new swimmers coming in next year, so we should be ready to go."
    Melbourn said this year's "Fab Five" has set the stage for future success in swimming at Northwest.
    "They've provided excellent groundwork for us to advance," Melbourn said. "Whether they're moving up to 5A or not, they want to get back to the state meet—and they're willing to work hard in order to do it. The biggest thing about these guys is that they're really a fantastic group of kids."