The Mail-Journal, Volume 28, Number 39, Milford, Kosciusko County, 8 November 1989 — Page 8
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THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., November 8,1989
Sports
Lady swimmers capture NLC championship
| By SCOTT DAVIDSON Sports Writer The ability to rise to the occasion and turn up the performance level a notch were the key factors that helped the Wawasee girls’ swim team capture its first-ever NLC Meet championship Saturday as the squad held on to edge Concord, 272-265. The victory
I* „ B II? \ JEa S H •* Wo? '.jr-' ij. 'osfc. gas F-.,^ — ' ~ * jr ■ ’ Jbl B wHF fl WINNERS RECEIVE TROPHY — Wawasee girls’ swim team co-captains Sherry Payne (center) and Julie Gunn (right) proudly display the championship trophy after the Lady Warriors captured the Northern Lakes Conference Meet on-Saturday at the Warsaw Community Pool. - Wawasee. which edged out Concord, 272-265, to capture the NLC Meet, concluded the season as cochampions of the NLC with the Lady Minutewomen who captured the regular season-conference championship. Shown presenting the championship trophy is Richard Kline. Warsaw Community High School principal. (Photo by Scott Davidson)
■■. ■ ■' ,x ~ i SHEBrk As siili HL iiMi ® I'fltl "? ■■ r~ ■ V/’H'" jKIEHWI /Mi® -f HHVH W-i/fIU I /HI CONFERENCE SWIM CHAMPIONS — The Wawasee girls’ swim team edged out Concord Saturday for its first NLC Championship title. The squad will now compete in the sectional tomorrow (Thursday) and Saturday at the Warsaw Community Pool. The five members of the squad pictured above were conference champions during the two-day NLC Meet. Kneeling in front, from left; are: Julie Gunn and Sherry Payne. In back are: Lori Boles. Dawn Firestone and Krista Guimond. Gunn was the NLC winner in the diving event while Boles captured first in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle races and teamed with Payne. Firestone and Guimond to win the 200 medley relay event. (Photo by Scott Davidson)
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gave the Lady Warriors a share of the NLC overall championship with Concord, who captured the regular season top mark. ’ This win was definitely a total ( team effort and the girls really deserved it because they worked hard to get there," said first-year coach Roger Karns after the championship win. Karns is no stranger to winning the NLC
Adult basketball league completes second week
Action during the second week of play in the Wawasee Adult Basketball League Monday saw teams from Sturonjac. Wawasee Boat Company, Pilcher s Shoes and Sylvan at I come away with victories. Sturonjac scored a Convincing 106-82 win over Dana, with Mark Sumpter netting 27 points for the winners. Rocky Farmile scored 14 points in a losing effort. Wawasee Boat Company beat Buhrt Builders, 62-58, as Craig Cripe knocked in a game-high 21 points for the victors while Bill Rondeau had 17 points for the losers. Pilcher’s Shoes edged Kozon, 61-57. Eric Pavelki had a game-
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Championship Meet, having guided the North Wood Lady Panthers to the title last season before taking over the Wawasee program this year. The final team standings in the meet had Wawasee on top with 272 points, followed by Concord (265), Plymouth (200), Warsaw (161), North Wood (151), Goshen (68) and Northridge (18). The Lady Warriors and the
high 21 points for the winners while Jack Beer popped in 17 points to lead Kozon. Sylvan, behind the 24-point performance of Doug Thwaits, coasted past Augsburgers. 91-47. Al Schlagenhaus scored a teamhigh 17 points to lead Augsburgers. After two weeks of play, Sturonjac and Sylvan are 2-0. while Wawasee Boat Company. Pilcher’s Shoes. Dana and Kozon are 1-1. Buhrt Builders and Augsburgers are both 0-2. Best remedy The best of all home remedies is a good mother.
Concord squad battled back and forth on Saturday, exchanging the lead in the meet until the Wawasee squad assured itself of the win by outscoring Concord, 34-10, in the 100-yard breaststroke race to grab a 250-233 lead with just one event left in the meet. “It was a very exciting meet and I wasn’t sure that we had it won until after the consolations of the 100 breaststroke because then we had enough points that alj we had to do was finish the 400 freestyle relay race without being disqualified,” said Karns. The veteran coach seemed to be more exhausted and drained after Saturday’s victory than his own team, logging several miles while walking the distance of the Warsaw Pool. He could be found cheering, screaming encouragement, whistling and, overall, doing a fine job in keeping his team poised to win the championship. Senior Lori Boles led the way for Wawasee, capturing firsts in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle events as well as combining with Dawn Firestone, Krista Guimond and Sherry Payne to win the 200-yard medley relay race. Boles was clocked at 27.23 in winning the 50 and at 59.42 for a winning effort in the 100. Tlie Wawasee squad also took the top two spots in the diving competition as Julie Gunn (376.65) and teammate Firestone (352.90) continued to dominate the NLC in their specialty as they had done throughout the entire dual.meet season. The Lady Warrior “diving duo” placed first and second, respectively, in each of the team's 15 regular season dual meets before continuing their top notch efforts in the championship. In other finals competition. Brandee Carlson was second in the 100 backstroke (1:09.20) and third in the 200 freestyle (2:12.18) while Guimond took second in the 100 breaststroke (1:15.08) and third in the 200 IM with a time of 2:24.80. Tonya Perzanowski took fourth in the finals of the 100 butterfly (1:12.56) while Firestone was fourth in the 100 backstroke (1:10.69) and Stacy Neterer took fourth in the 100 breaststroke (1:20.39). The 400 freestyle relayteam of Carlson. Neterer. Chris Ridings and Sara Kline also finished fourth (4:15.30). Payne captured fifth place in the 50 freestyle (27.93) as well as the 100 freestyle (1:02.34) events while teammate Gunn was fifth in the 100 breaststroke (1:20.65). In the finals of the 100 backstroke
Karns leads swim program to new heights
(By SCOTT DAVIDSON Sports Writer If the involvement of a coach with his or her team during a game or meet is the measuring stick for success, then Roger Karns, coach of the Wawasee girls' swim team, is one of the more successful coaches that you would see on the high school level. * Karns, who was the successful coach of the boys' and girls' swim programs at North Wood High School before coming to Wawasee this year, is lucky if he’s able to talk after his squad completes a big meet, as was the case Saturday. The Lady Warriors, behind the encouragement of Karns, which included shouts of praise and high-fives, captured their first NLC Championship meet, edging out regular season conference champion Concord, 272-265, at Warsaw. But it’s not just the "cheerleader” like attitude that makes Karns such an effective coach. While watching him coach Saturday (as well as throughout the entire season), it was obvious that his attitude towards his team is one of concern for every
Exercise safety, important consideration
Exercise should be a fun and enjoyable experience providing we take some safety precautions that both anticipate emergencies and minimize risks. To lessen your chance of injuries be sure to include a proper warm-up at the start and a proper cool down at the finish of each exercise session' Learn skills tin a progressive basis; master easier skills before attempting advanced ones. When starting a new activity, if at all possible, take instruction from a qualified person to learn how to do it safely and correctly. Know the hazards that might fie associated with a particular activity or sport including your physical and mental limitations
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CONFERENCE MEET CHAMPIONS — The Wawasee girls’ swim team celebrates its first-ever conference championship meet Saturday, holding on for a 272-265 win over runner-up Concord. The
race. Perzanowski turned in an effort of 1:15.43 to take sixth place despite an injured foot. Fine Effort In Consolations "Not only did our kids come through in the finals but we reallypicked up some badly needed points in the Consolations as the girls there really did a nice job,” commented Karns. In the consolations of the 200 freestyle. Ridings took eighth i2:21.73) and Kline was ninth (2:22.08). Neterer captured eighth in the 200 IM consolations with a timeof 2:39.92. Amy Pratt, who swam a great race, according to Karns, took 10th in the 100 butterfly (1:26.86) whilejNagi Matsuoka. who also turned in an outstanding effort, was eighth in the consolation race of the 100 freestyle (1:06.63). The Lady Warriors also had three swimmers in the consola-
SUCCESSFUL COACH AT WORK — Roger Karns, coach of the Wawasee girls’ swim team, shouts encouragement to one of his team members during the preliminary round of the NLC Championship Meet at Warsaw last Thursday. Karns, who took over the Lady this season after coaching at North Wood High School, guided his squad to itj> firstever conference championship meet victory Saturday. (Photo by Scott Davidson)
as well as the limitations of your equipment. Before starting, consider potentially dangerous situations that might occur. Temperature and weather conditions may change dramatically in a short period of time. Take clothing that can help you meet these changes. Try to stay away from high traffic areas; this will help reduce your risk of possible injury. When jogging and cycling plan water stops; if none are available, be sure to take water with you. Take some protection for your skin and eyes and. if applicable, a small first aid kit for possible scrapes, bruises or injuries. Carry some form of identification, including the name of so-
tion race of the 500 freestyle as Kline finished seventh (6:18.78), Ridings took ninth (6:21.42) and Theresa Chesnut captured 11th (6;41.07). "The conference championship at North Wood last year and the win this season were a lot alike in that both of them were the first for the school's girls' swim programs. Last year, however, we were the favorite at North Wood to win while this year we were the underdog and we had to go into the meet and prove our ability by attacking and swimming our best," remarked Karns. With a victory at the NLC Meet being one of the goals the team set at the start of the season, Karns said that he believed all along that the team could do it. "We had a good nucleus of swimmers and the depth came along during the season and these girls
meone to call in case of an emergency. If you have a medical condition that requires special treatment, wear a tag to indicate what it is. Always/carry a small amount of money-®) that you can make a phone call if necessary. Water activities are very popular in the summer. They can be very enjoyable and safe with a few simple precautions. Before water skiing, sailing or similar activities, learn to swim well enough to remove yourself from danger and always comply with recommended safety policies, i.e. life vests, water safety rules, etc. A variety of organizations offer lessons in basic water safety and
victory gave the Lady Warriors the 1989 NLC Co-Championship with Concord, which captured the regular season conference title. (Photo by Scott Davidson)
have away of rising to the occasion and getting it done,” the coach emphasized. Sectional Is Next With the NLC Meet Championship behind them, the Lady Warriors now have to set their sights on the sectional, which will be held tomorrow (Thursday) and Saturday at the Warsaw Community Pool. “We're looking to qualify as many people as possible for the state meet (November 17-18 in Indianapolis) and the girls will hive to rise to the occasion once again,” Karns commented. The sectional will begin with the preliminaries in the 10 swimming events set to get underway at 5:30 tomorrow evening. The agenda for Saturday at the Warsaw Pool includes the diving preliminaries at 9 am., with the consolations and the finals in all
member of the squad, not just the "top performers.” Karns, who joked before the NLC Meet that his wife is afraid that someday he may have a heart attack while coaching, was a constant stream of motion throughout the three hour meet. He would race from each side of the pool shouting encouragement, keeping split times on his watch and helping each of his swimmers from the pool after their race, welcoming them with a hug, handshake or praise for a job well done. Someone in the Wawasee athletic program might want to make sure that his shoes are not worn through after the miles that he logged while coaching his squad to the victory. Afterall, the team still has to compete in the sectional meet tomorrow (Thursday) and Saturday at Warsaw! "The girls really deserved this victory because they worked hard this season and they have been very good at rising to the occasion .when they needed to." commented Karns, looking back on the championship victory. While hitting the nail on the head, it should also be noted that Karns, along with assistant coach John Blunk, put in a lot of long hours and early mornings in
swimming skills for individuals of all ages. Boaters should take a safety course. The Coast Guard and many boat clubs offer these courses each year. Additionally, the American Red Cross offers instruction in basic canoeing, boating and whitewater. Learn to recognize hazards and unsafe conditions. W’ear a Coast Guard approved personal flotation device at all times, particularly if you are not comfortable in the water. Here are some safety suggestions for other activities: Swimming- Never swim alone; do not dive when you are unsure of the bottom surface; swim or
of the events set to begin at 2 p.m. The 11-team field for the sectional competition will include Bremen, East Noble, Elkhart Central, Elkhart MemorigJ, and Rochester, as well as NLC members Concord, Goshen, Northridge, North Wood, Warsaw and Wawasee. “Central is the heavy favorite again this year (having won 15 consecutive sectional championships) and we’ll be up there, along with Concord and Elktart Memorial,” predictea'Kams.W’’ Last season, the Lady Warriors sent one competitor (diver Julie Gunn) to the state meet but this season Karns is hoping for higher numbers. “We're going to have to perform at our best, but if we do we have a shot at sending both of our divers as well as a relay team and two or three swimmers in individual events.”
order to get the team to accomplish so much. Praise also needs to be handed out to former Wawasee girls’ swim coaches Tim Caldwell and Rex Rymers, who laid the groundwork the past few seasons for the success of this year's team. I had the opportunity last season to witness Karns as he led the successful North Wood swim teams and I was immediately impressed by his excitement and his involvement in the sport. It's not just the fact that Karns wins (which is important to fans, school officials and parents), but it's the way that he goes about actually making himself an integral part of the team that is so enjoyable to see. Earlier this year, before the swim season got underway, I was told by someone connected with the Wawasee athletic program that the hiring of Karns away from North Wood was the "steal of the century” for Wawasee. After sitting back and watching Coach “K” operate last Thursday and Saturday to bring the girls’ swim program to a new pinnacle, I think that the person couldn’t have been more right. It's been obvious to this observer that North Wood's loss was definitely Wawasee’s gain.
guarded beaches and obey lifeguard warnings regarding water conditions; do not overestimate your abilities. With millions of Americans participating every day in sports and physical activities, to enhance their health and performance, extending common courtesies and assistance when needed will help everyone have a pleasant and safe experience. Forces in Cambodia BEIJING — The Chinese government accused Vietnam of leaving 30,000 soldiers in Cambodia — saying Beijing may continue supplying military aid to rebels.