STARKVILLE — Thursday marked the final 5:30 a.m. preseason practice session for the Starkville High School swim team.
When Starkville hits the water Saturday at the Brandon Invitational, a potentially outstanding season finally will be under way.
“We have been practicing three mornings a week at 5:30,” sixth-year coach Angela Hobart said. “It really is a dedication for the swimmers and for the parents. It takes a little while for them to get warmed up in the morning.
“However, the attitude has been very good. There has been no bickering and no complaints about not being a morning person. They get along really well and do a good job of building one another up. Hopefully, this camaraderie will carry over into the season.”
A year ago, both Starkville squads finished in the top seven at the state meet. Considering that squad had no seniors, there is plenty of reason for optimism this year. This season, the 29-member squad has two seniors.
Adam Bond is the lone male senior swimmer, while Savannah Hobart is the lone female senior swimmer. Bond is the boys captain, while junior Mark Anne Hobart is the girls captain.
“We are excited about the season getting started,” Mark Anne Hobart said. “Our standards have changed, and that has made the team more competitive. (Due to some scoring changes) it is going to be harder to make the state meet this year. However, I feel like all of our ”A-team” swimmers have a really good chance of advancing from North State and going to the state meet.”
Highly touted freshman Laken Vickers feels the same way.
“All of us really love swim meets,” Vickers said. “We get out there and try our hardest every time. The bus rides are a lot of fun. I look forward to those trips and getting to know my teammates better and just hanging out. Every part of swimming is fun.”
While coach Hobart is counting on talented juniors and seniors, she has been pleased with the influx of talent in the lower grades. She said most of her roster is made up of swimmers in eighth through 10th grades. With positive results for the student-athletes, the program has continued to show steady growth.
“The uniforms just came in and I am sending a bunch of them to Armstrong (Middle School),” Coach Hobart said. “That is a very good sign. This year, we have some swimmers in each of the six grades. I don”t recall that happening before.”
With so many youngsters, leadership becomes a vital commodity.
“A year ago, I was voted a team captain,” Mark Anne Hobart said. “This year, I was appointed one. That is very special to me. By being a team captain, it is important I am not big-headed about it. It is more important I show the kids how to do things.
“Instead of telling them what to do, I feel it is important to show them what to do. It is not OK just to be an older person. Instead, act right and lead by example.”
Vickers feels team unity may be the Yellow Jackets” strongest suit.
“Each of us is hoping to improve our personal best time each time out,” Vickers said. “We have so many new people on the team. It is important for us to show them how to do their strokes better. We work with them on better techniques. It is our goal to help the other swimmers have their personal best times, too.”
Saturday”s competition will include Brandon, Oxford, Tupelo, Northwest Rankin, and Madison Central. Twenty-two individual contests and six relays will be held, and coach Hobart has high hopes for her relay teams.
The 200-medley relay team for the boys includes Cheng Ye, Andy Bond, Adam Bond, and David McKell. The 200-freestyle relay team for the girls includes Mark Anne Hobart, Vickers, Adina Harri, and Kristen Lacy.
“From a relay standpoint, we should be very competitive this year,” coach Hobart said. “Andy (Bond) is the leader of our team. He has been a captain for a couple of years. He has taken some time off from swimming to concentrate on some academic issues. However, there is no doubt he is our leader. We expect several top-five finishes from him this year.
“Savannah Hobart is our lone senior for the girls. She doesn”t swim year-round because she is a cheerleader and also plays golf. She has been swimming competitively since she was 8 years old and does a great job with the younger swimmers.”
On Sept. 10, Starkville will play host to a six-team meet at the Sanderson Center on the Mississippi State University campus. Brandon, Oxford, Tupelo, Preparatory Christian, and West Point are expected to be part of that competition.
For Starkville, it is the first of two home meets this season. It also will hold a dual meet Oct. 6 against an opponent to be determined. The Yellow Jackets haven”t had a home meet in six seasons.
“I am so excited about a swim meet at home,” Mark Anne Hobart said. “I am just psyched. Since joining the team in the seventh grade, I have always wanted to have a meet at home. When I found out, we were going to have two, I could not believe it. I was so excited.”
While Vickers enjoys the bus rides, she is looking forward to not having one Sept. 10.
“That will be the biggest day of our regular season,” Vickers said. “I am glad we won”t have to wake up as early that day. But it will be really exciting to be able to swim at home like that.”
Coach Hobart commended MSU, the Sanderson Center, and assistant director Brent Crocker. The on-going partnership has provided the Yellow Jackets with a top-notch facility for practice and has enabled them to schedule a pair of home meets.
“To have a home meet is quite a compliment,” coach Hobart said. “We owe a great deal of gratitude to the Sanderson Center and especially to Brent for helping making all of this happen. They have been great to work with from the beginning.”
For Starkville, the beginning will come Saturday when the team pulls out of the Starkville High parking lot Saturday morning.
“Times are not very important at the first meet of the year,” said coach Hobart, who is assisted by Robert P. Gonzalez. “However, you do get a time. Swimmers then have something to work toward bettering. Right now, it is all about technique, stroke mechanics, diving, and flip turns. Diving is about 25 percent of your score in high school swimming, so it is important to have a good dive with good reaction time. Good, clean flip turns are also important. Then, as the season progresses, we will work on speed and endurance.”
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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