Herrera ‘coming out of her shell’ for city championships
Emily Herrera is ready to make a splash today and Friday.
The 9 year-old Herrera, who is part of the Seals’ recreational swim team, has and continues to build her confidence in life as well as the swimming pool. She will be one of many swimmers in ages 6 to incoming high school seniors competing in the Lodi Parks and Recreation City Championships at the Tokay High swimming pool. The Seals are one of four teams competing, along with the Dolphins, Piranhas and the Tritons.
The two-day meet begins with the trials today, and the finals on Friday. The swimming is scheduled to run from 5 to 10 p.m. both days.
On Wednesday, Herrera and fellow Seal swimmers held their end-of-the-summer season swim party at the Tokay pool. All were swimming and were treated to pizza, water and sodas, along with their families.
Herrera competes in the backstroke, butterfly, backstroke events and for her age group. She likes the butterfly events because of the “movements” a swimmer makes; starting with the extension of the wrists, elbows and arms that is followed by the upward rotation of the shoulder blades that allows the swimmer to swim further during the event.
Robert Elrod, who coaches the Seals and is the Lodi High girls water polo coach and Lodi frosh/soph boys and girls swimming coach, has seen Herrera’s confidence build in education and swimming. Elrod teaches physical education at St. Anne’s Catholic School.
“She’s coming out of her shell more and more at the school setting,” said Elrod of Herrera.
Last summer, Herrera practiced with the Seals. But being painfully shy left her not wanting to compete in any dual meets.
At last summer’s city championships at Tokay’s pool, the one event she competed in was one lap in the 100 freestyle relay for the same age group, but as a fill-in; one of the swimmers fell ill at the meet.
“If she didn’t step up and swim it, I would’ve had to dump that relay because I didn’t have anybody else,” Elrod said.
Herrera admitted she was afraid to compete at dual meets last summer. But her
last-second contribution at the city championships paid off for the Seals, who won the 100 freestyle relay that helped toward winning the city title over the other three teams.
This summer has been the opposite for Herrera. Thanks to Elrod and the Seals’ assistant
coaches, Herrera has continued to climb the swim ladder.
“They helped me learn how to swim faster,” Herrera said.
Elrod added, “When you ask her if you’re ready to go, she’d say, ‘yeah.’ Walks in and gets it done. There’s been a huge jump in a year of swimming. I’ve seen it coming in the last year of school.”
Herrera said she’s “confident, going to do her best” in the city championships. She feels the practice time and confidence boost by Elrod and his assistant coaches should see better results today and Friday.
Contact reporter Mike Bush at mikeb@lodinews.com. Follow on Twitter: @MBushLodiSports.