Stillwater's Blose credits coach for her success
BARTLESVILLE — Dewi Blose couldn’t have imagined her high school career finishing up any other way.
As Blose, a senior from Stillwater, prepared to compete for a final time with coach Kurt Goebel by her side on Monday at the Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State Swim Meet, she reminisced about her time swimming for Goebel.
“This is the last hoorah,” Blose said. “Honestly, couldn’t imagine doing it without Coach (Goebel.) I probably wouldn’t be swimming without him.”
As Blose prepares to swim at the collegiate level next year for the University of Kansas, Goebel is hanging it up. After 30 years of coaching boys and girls swimmers and six state championships, he announced in May that he was retiring.
Goebel said he wasn’t looking for any special recognition, instead wanting the focus to stay on the swimmers.
“We get to celebrate the seniors,” he said. “This is to see the seniors off and honor their accomplishments.”
But for Blose, who was part of four straight championship teams for the Stillwater girls, Goebel helped her reach that next level.
“He’s just a great coach,” she said. “I’ve improved year after year, and he’s been right there with me.”
Goebel said Blose has improved by leaps and bounds since her first meet as a freshman, including a dominant performance at the state meet this year when Blose set records in the 100-yard butterfly (55.22) and the 100-yard backstroke
(55.44) while also opening for two relay teams that set state records.
“I don’t think there is anything set on what she is capable of doing,” Goebel said. “I think she’s positioned herself to have success at the D-I level and who knows, maybe we’ll see her at the Olympics Trials.”
The season has been full of parallels for Goebel. This year marked the 20th
anniversary of his first state championship, and Monday was a return to the city where he coached his first ever meet in Bartlesville.
“Just a fun roundabout,” Goebel said. “It’s just one of those things you sit back and enjoy watching them swim. It’s a lot of fun and not a lot of stress.
“This will be a good way to end it.”