Large, experienced team create high goals and expectations for girls swim team

FREMONT – If one were to drain the pool at the Hawk-Bucci Natatorium, it could easily be filled to overflowing simply by the hopes and expectations of Ross girls swim team this year.

The Lady Giants return nearly their entire roster from a season ago, including all four of its swimmers who qualified for the state meet. Add in a handful of district-qualifiers plus a large, talented crop of freshmen and you get a team primed to break records and win championships.

“I’d love to see them win another league championship, I think that is well within reach,” said coach Tina Moses. “A district title is going to be tough, given the schools from the northeast, there are some tough schools we compete with, but I wouldn’t say that’s out of the question, but that is always the goal, of course. And making the state meet and doing better than the previous year is always the goal for us.”

Looking to make a return trip to Canton for the state meet are juniors Olivia DeRodes, MaKenna Fitzgerald and AnneMarie Moses and sophomore Alexis Prenzlin. They combined to finish 10th in the 200 medley relay and 11th in the 200 freestyle relay.

Individually, Fitzgerald qualified for the 100 freestyle and the 100 backstroke and Prenzlin qualified for the 200 individual medley and the 100 breaststoke.

With another year of experience under their belts, Tina Moses believes her big four are primed for an even better season, particularly in the relays.

“If I can keep them healthy, I think they’ll be district champs again this year, like they were last year,” Moses said. “I think the district record is in reach. And they should podium at state. I don’t want to jinx myself, but I think they can be podium. I don’t want to say a place. I have a place in mind, where I think they’ll land but I don’t want to say. They’re juniors and a sophomore. They have an amazing opportunity.”

The biggest hurdle for them, as it was a year ago, may be simply remaining healthy enough to compete. Key members of the girls team took turns getting sick, often at the most inopportune times.

Fitzgerald missed much of the early season last year. AnneMaries Moses was under the weather for the TRAC and district meets. DeRodes was ill for sectionals and distance swimmer Ellie Stover’s performance at the district meet was also hampered.

“I talked to the girls a lot about diet, drinking water, washing their hands, like every year,” Tina Moses said. “I think a lot of it had to do with the warm winter we had last year, I think when it gets real cold it kills a lot of stuff that goes around but that just didn’t happen last year.”

In addition to the returning state qualifiers, the Lady Giants also bring back Stover, sprinter Rilee Overmeyer, butterflier Shelby Level, Sarah Watson and Victoria Miller – all of whom qualified for the district meet and were major contributors to Ross’ second-place finish in the TRAC.

Ross only lost two seniors from a year ago, district qualifier Kaity Kelly and Taylor Weickert. In their place are about a dozen freshmen who Moses believes will be scoring points for the Lady Giants sooner rather than later.

Among them is sprinter Mara Brown.

“Mara Brown is a unique situation, she is a sprinter and she is already going 26s in practice, she is definitely going to make an impact,” Moses said. “And she is also a very talented diver and will contribute immensely, especially in the TRAC. Her diving points will help out a lot with that.”

Other freshmen who have Moses excited are distance swimmer Rachel Haitonic and twins Faith and Lauren Zimmerman.

“The girls are working very hard. Many of the freshmen that I have, I’m training right alongside of the upperclassmen, right alongside of Fitzgerald and Prenzlin and Shelby Level,” Moses said. “They’re definitely stepping it up. They’re not quite at the level of training the older girls are, but they’re definitely working their butts off to get there.”

With so many returning swimmers and incoming freshmen, the Lady Giants biggest challenge this season may be finding something for everyone to do. Ross’ roster lists 38 swimmers. In Moses’ previous six years as coach, her largest squad had been 26.

“It’s a very big team bad there is very limited space. We’re being very creative figuring out how to use our space to the best of our ability. We essentially have five lanes to train in and 38 girls. If you do the math, there is close to eight girls in some of the lanes. We’ve been trying to divide them up and get as creative as we can with the training and the time we have.”

The Lady Giants begin their season Tuesday at home hosting a duel meet against Sandusky at 5 p.m.