‘LAST CHANCE FOR GLORY’
HILLTOPPERS’ SENIORS LIKELY TO STEP UP AND GO FOR GOLD AT STATE MEET
Hilltoppers’ seniors go for gold at state meet
There are some mile-high-plus expectations for the swimmers and divers atop the mesa when it comes to this weekend’s state meet.
“Personally, I think it would be a stellar thing to place in the top three in either the 100 (freestyle) or 100 (backstroke),” said Los Alamos senior captain Alex Jaeger. “I think that would be fantastic. And hopefully I can get the school record in both of those.”
However the individual marks turn out, the real prize is turning in a solid team performance, he said.
“The sort of goal that the boys team has had all year round, we really would like it as a team to place in the top five,” Jaeger said. “That would be the best we’ve placed in many years. Two years ago, we did and it would be great to be at that level again. It would be a really cool thing.”
Likewise, the Hilltoppers girls are looking forward to some strong performances this weekend.
“We were fifth last year so, this year, I would like my team to get at least fourth,” said senior Kaitlin Bennett.
Bennett is looking to aid that effort in the 50 and 100 frees where she is seeded third in both, but the team goal is really paramount, especially after what the Hilltoppers considered a disappointing finish last season.
“I think we learned if we work together, anything is possible, but we also can’t underestimate our opponents,” she said. “We didn’t realize how fast everyone had gotten. It was humbling, but it was a good experience.”
Facing a final meet, now is the time that the seniors kick it in final gear or fall by the wayside, said Los Alamos coach
Stu Corliss.
“These seniors have finally realized that it’s just about over,” he said. “We have six of each gender, about a dozen seniors — not all are going to be at the state meet but, for every senior at the state meet, it’s dawned on them the last couple of weeks. This is the last chance for glory, so they’re likely to step up.”
If the Hilltoppers can channel that angst, they just might have a chance of reaching their goals, Corliss said.
“They surprise me every year,” he said. “Sometimes on the upside and sometimes on the downside. If they can step up and get the ‘we’ part of this sport, we will be fine.”
Some of the seniors, like Bennett and Jaeger, have the potential to swim at the next level and both are hoping to do so, they said.
But there are athletes in the sport who are accomplishing big things, Corliss said.
Like diver Liz Lockhart. “She’s the Babe Didrickson of Los Alamos,” he said of the noted female athlete who won two Olympic gold medals in track and 10 majors on the LPGA tour. “She went from golf to diving to a state champion in triple jump. In the weight room, she has half the girls’ weight records.”
Still, despite the individual achievements, it’s going to depend on how well the team performs together, Corliss said.
“It is a team sport,” he said. “A tremendous amount of our points are going to come from relays. If our relays step up, we can do very well. If they get too excited and they jump, or drop the baton, so to speak, we can be in trouble.”
As for the seniors facing a final meet, Jaeger said it’s been a fun ride no matter what happens.
“It’s sort of the biggest thing I’ve done in my life,” he said. “It’s a key part of my identity. Swimming gave me a place to grow up and belong. It’s given me some really good friendships that I don’t think I’d have if I hadn’t been doing it.”