News From Terre Haute, Indiana

High School

Discussion

Welcome to our online comments feature. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean. We reserve the right to remove comments that are obscene, racist or abusive and statements that are false or unverifiable as well as posts that are attacking other users. Repeat offenders will be blocked. You may flag objectionable comments for review by a moderator.
comments powered by Disqus
January 31, 2012

Sink or swim: South boys chose the latter

Once winless, Braves are now among state’s best

Dennis Clark The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — Terre Haute South’s boys swimming and diving team is currently enjoying it’s lofty No. 21 ranking in the state of Indiana.

But that hasn’t always been the case. Not by a long shot.

When current boys coach Jeff Thompson came to South in 2002, the school had just one sectional title — way back in 1980-81.

“We had nine boys and three were divers … so six swimmers,” Thompson recalled his first Braves’ team. “That particular year in dual meets we went 0-10. That group of freshmen, I think there was four or five of them, their senior year went 10-0.”

If you look in the long, dark corridor leading to the pool area, there is a large photograph celebrating that team.

“Ever since then we have continued to climb the ladder in terms of success,” Thompson noted. “10-0 was a great accomplishment. Since then, it’s gone from winning dual meets to winning sectional meets. Two years ago, we did that.

“Now winning a sectional is no longer on their wish list, they expect to do that year-in and year-out. I attribute that to great families, great student-athletes, the school too. Consistent coaching has created an environment that breeds success. Good people see it and want to be a part of it.”

Having a ranked swim team at South is impressive, especially when you look at the competition farther up the rankings.

“When you go through the rankings and some of the facilities that teams ahead of us have to work with,” Thompson said. “And I’m not disrespecting what we have because I like what we have. But we’re doing a really, really good job.”

“Carmel has over 200 girls on their team, the boys over 100 on their team. The law of large numbers means you only need 14 swimmers and three divers to fill a really competitive lineup. So when you have 27 {South’s available roster] to pick from vs. 127 to pick from, the chances of finding 14 pretty good ones are a lot better.”

Carmel, not coincidentally, is currently ranked No. 1 in the state of Indiana.

“To be successful at a high level, you’re looking at a 48-, 50-week commitment to that sport,” Thompson stressed. “That first year, I had one boy that swam year-round. Now, in any given calendar year, I’ll have 18 to 20 boys that will train year-round. That makes a big difference.”

Thompson added that the local swim club, the Terre Haute Torpedos, and the backing of the school corporation for use of its pool facilities, is essential to a strong swim program.

“The sole aim of the [Terre Haute Torpedos] is to feed the local high

school,” Thompson emphasized. “That’s it. It’s what we do. With the school corporation letting us use these facilities, we’re able to train these athletes year-round.

“[Terre Haute] North had a great string there about four or five years ago where their boys program was unbelievable. Arguably the best boys teams that Vigo County has put together. Four sectional titles, top 10 in the state numerous years in a row. That was a direct result of the swim club.”

Thompson, who teaches at Honey Creek Middle School by day, is always on the lookout for potential swimming talent — a talent pool that can be stretched because of so many sports available for athletes.

“We don’t have big competition between myself and like baseball, basketball or football that tends to attract a different kind of athlete,” Thompson said. “But cross country and track are now training year-round which are aerobic-based activities, which is like swimming. So there is a little competition there, but not a lot.

“Teaching advanced classes, I look for tall boys, with big hands and big feet, not doing anything,” Thompson laughed. “I ask them to join the swim team. That’s where a lot of these kids came from, they hadn’t been involved in athletics until they came to South.”

One example of the type of student-athletes Thompson referred to is former South swimmer Rob Padgett — coincidentally on that 10-0 team in 2006-07.

“Rob Padgett is one of those guys I plucked out of a class at Honey Creek,” Thompson recalled “He was playing baseball, but tall, with big hands and big feet. Asked him if he ever swam and he looked at me like I was from another planet. Four years later he sets a school record and won sectional in the 50 freestyle.

“I remember his dad tells the story, I think it was his freshman year. [Rob] got in the car after practice and told him he was going to win sectional. And he swam like a rock at that point. He made a bet with [Rob] that if he wins sectional, he’d let him shave his legs.

“You know what? His dad sat on this pool deck and let Rob shave his legs, it was awesome. Those are the kind of success stories we have. I think you just have to give good people opportunities. That’s what we try to do.”

Two of South’s current swimmers, also highly-ranked statewide individually this season, are seniors Nolan Roach and Sakbun. Both have been successful with different backgrounds in swimming.

Roach is ranked 12th in the 50 freestyle (21.74), 15th in the 100 freestyle (47.74), while Sakbun is 27th in the 100 breaststroke (1:01.45). Also, three relays are ranked — 200 medley (18th, 1:41.12), 200 freestyle relay (21st, 1:32.20) and 400 freestyle relay (12th, 3:18.21).

“I was already a pretty good swimmer,” Sakbun said of starting when he was eight years old. “The extra training from club to high school really helped a lot, definitely. Starting to do breaststroke going into high school helped a lot and contributed to me being top 20 in the state now.”

“Since I’ve been here, Jeff has brought the team together and made it closer,” Roach said. “In my four years, we’ve become kind of like a family. That makes it easier to train the way we do, do the things we do all summer long. We’ve been training since April to have a good season.

“It would be awesome to win sectional. We did it when I was a sophomore.

I know we have a lot of fast swimmers that can make it to state. Hopefully along with myself, I’ll have teammates to back me up and hang out around the pool deck come high school state. That’d be pretty cool.”

All good things come with a sacrifice.

“There has been a price for it,” Thompson mentioned. “I’m missed a lot of time with my own children as they grow up. My wife has made a lot of sacrifices. But it’s also fun to celebrate the successes of the program. I celebrate with my swimmers, but I celebrate them with my wife and kids too.”

Text Only | Photo Reprints
High School
Multimedia

Like us on Facebook!
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
TribStar.com Poll
Front page
AP Video
Boy to Rescuers: 'Do You Have a Plan?' US Airways: Diverted Flight Has 'Landed Safely' Doctors and Devotees Debate Barefoot Running Serial Stabbings Suspect Guilty of Murder Blacks Seek to Find Their Own Missing 8 Hurt in Oklahoma Shooting After NBA Playoff Sheriff: DNA Links Suspect to Missing CA Teen Revived Focus on Regulation After JPMorgan Loss Fired Lingerie Employee Claims Discrimination New Medicine. Can IPads Help Spot Dementia Risk? Raw Video: Private Rocket Blasts Off Gerard Butler: the Good, the Bad and the Cannes Facebook Shares Continue Negative Slide A Few Odd Business Sparks but Europe Gloomy At Least 25 Dead in India Train Collision Chicago Police: 90 Arrested in NATO Protests Ex-Rutgers Student Gets 30 Days in Webcam Case Remains of Veterans Found in Basement Are Buried White House Cautiously Optimistic on Iran Joplin Marches to 'Remember' Tornado Victims
NDN Video
Daisy Sizzles in Sexy Swimwear Officers Use Deadly Force on Mountain Lion in Santa Monica Lea Michele Shows Major Skin 8 Hurt in Oklahoma Shooting After NBA Playoff Why Cee Lo Thinks 'The Voice' is So Popular Burlesque New Orleans Mike Posner Talks Sneakers: Bamboozle 2012 Howard Stern Makes Kid Cry on AGT Neighbor Feud Results in Dog Poop in Mailbox Tiger's Ex-Wife Bares Her Bod VIDEO | Zoo Chimp Charges Children Child locked in washing machine after father put him there Incubus On Working With Odd Future: Bamboozle 2012 'PLL' First Look Clip! Fired for being 'too hot' Ashley Olsen is a Bikini Babe 'Part of Me' Details 'Bumpy' Marriage, Says Katy Music downloader owes nearly $700K in fines Kardashian Sisters Pose in Lingerie Raw Video: Man Saved After Niagara Falls Plunge
Parade
Magazine
Click HERE to read all your Parade favorites including Hollywood Wire, Celebrity interviews and photo galleries, Food recipes and cooking tips, Games and lots more.
  • -

    March 12, 2010

activity
Real Estate News