Chiefs credit preparation for success

District swimming and diving preview

MOSES LAKE - The hours upon hours of mental and physical work put into the 2007 season by Moses Lake High School's swimming and diving team could be broken down into four simple words.

Practice like you play.

But that would be oversimplifying things. The Chiefs didn't achieve a 5-1 record in Columbia Basin League dual meets or qualify 19 participants for the district championships - which start today in Ellensburg - by forgetting about the details.

"We have prepared for this competition pretty much the entire season," Moses Lake head coach Tony St. Onge said Wednesday. "We always like to see every individual get their fastest swim or best performance in their final performance, wherever that happens to be."

The Chiefs' only CBL loss came against powerhouse Wenatchee, and while Moses Lake is looking to steal the district team title from the Panthers, their bigger goals include having fun and performing at their highest levels. The rest will take care of itself.

"We know Wenatchee's out there," St. Onge said. "They returned 100 percent of their team that won districts by a landslide last year, that went undefeated last year. They expected to be better this year than they were last year."

After losing some top-level seniors, including Ashley McKean and Marielle McKean, this year's Chiefs squad didn't have high expectations placed upon it. But their three relay squads are already bound for state next month, as is sophomore Catherine Polito in at least one individual event.

"It's probably the first time in 10 years that we've qualified all three relays going into state," St. Onge said. "We're relaxed about (districts) because we know our relays are going to state."

So why has this team been better than advertised? St. Onge points a finger at his two senior co-captains, Reilly Hourigan and Stephanie McFarland, who take their leadership roles very seriously.

"You feel like you carry a lot of responsibility and you feel very connected to how the team does as a whole," McFarland says of being a captain. "Our camaraderie this year has made our jobs pretty easy. Most of these girls have known each other for years, so they're all like sisters."

Going into Friday's and Saturday's events at Central Washington University, Hourigan and McFarland both have outside shots at state-qualifying marks in their two individual events - the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyles. Hourigan trails district leader Sarah Hicks of Walla Walla by just over a second in the 50 free, and McFarland is only six-tenths of a second behind Hourigan.

But without a state-qualifying time, the girls might be left behind - only the district champion earns an automatic berth to the Federal Way Aquatics Center in two weeks.

St. Onge said that's the case for several individuals. Junior Megan Schuh is very close to qualifying in the 200 individual medley and junior Cari Cortez is on the verge in the 100 breaststroke.

"We have at least one individual in every event who has a chance (at state)," St. Onge said. "It's not like they're 10 seconds off, they're 2 1/2 seconds off.

"They're all a bit of a long shot, but it's reasonable to shoot for," he added. "It's kind of one of those deals - you reach for the stars and fall short and catch the moon on the way back down, you still reached a great height."

Hourigan is part of the Chiefs' 200 freestyle relay time that has a clear goal for its next two races.

"We're hoping to get in the top eight at state," Hourigan said. "They're a great group of girls, they always pump each other up and cheer each other on."

The team's success, however, derives from what it does outside the pool. They use regular sessions of relaxation and visualization exercises to prepare mentally.

"We're trying to teach our mind, teach our body to go that fast for that length of pool," St. Onge said. "The idea, of course, is to have the perfect race which is imprinted on your brain cells."

McFarland went a step further in her explanation.

"It's just an old thought that if you see yourself doing something correctly over and over, when you're in the moment and you wipe everything else from your mind, your body will do exactly what you've been practicing," she said.

Moses Lake has a list of goals that sit pooside, and the No. 1 goal is camaraderie. Hourigan thinks it's made a huge difference for this year's squad.

"This year's been really awesome," Hourigan said. "We've been really well-connected and everybody's been supporting each other, cheering each other on all season."