Blue Streaks ready for meet
Talented veterans and rookies swim/dive at Ithaca College this weekend
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Saratoga Springs senior diver Felicity Ryan may be looking to save her best diving of her career for last as she enters her fourth New York State Public High School Athletic Association swimming and diving meet at Ithaca College Friday.
She also may have wanted a bigger cheering section of Blue Streaks there too.
Saratoga will be sending Ryan along with sophomore Ellie Baird, senior Julia Hawthorne, senior Adrianna Wise, junior Emma Kelly and freshman Rachel Love as one of the larger contingents sent by the Blue Streaks.
“I’m so happy that we have a relay going with (Ryan) because I think this will be really hard to do by yourself,” Saratoga Springs Coach Josh Muldner said. “Now she has her network with her. So I’m so happy we got Ellie (Baird) going individually and she’s young, too, a 10th-grader. I think that adds an element that it takes a little bit of the pressure off.”
The 2015 Section 2 diving champion and four-time qualifier is at ease in her final trip to the state meet and has had time to fine-tune her dives after qualifying for the state meet in September at the first 11-dive meet of the season.
“It’s something that I’m really proud of and something that I’ve worked a lot for each season,” Felicity Ryan said. “I think I’ve definitely improved from that point to now as well.
“I’ve added a few harder dives. I did try a few of those in my sectional list and I’m just really working to peak at this states meet.
“I felt like I’ve peaked a little earlier because sectionals is definitely something that we’re driven to work for because it matters more as a team and that’s the more important goal. But in this week and a half of practices that we’ve had, I’ve really focused on trying to fine tune everything. We did play around with a few new dives, like trying to test in what do you thinks will work out the best and I’m really excited for this weekend is not just because it’s the last, but it’s exciting.”
Baird, Hawthorne, Wise and Kelly will make up Saratoga’s 200-freestyle relay, ranked 38th heading into the meet.
Baird is making her second trip to the state meet.
“It’s different because I made it in the relay last year and now that I’m going individually I feel like there’s more seriousness to it, but I also feel like being with the state team and being with coach, it’s also fun,” Baird said.
As a veteran of the state swim meet she has an advantage to the layout of the Olympic-sized pool and venue.
“I feel like I know how the pool is and I know what it looks like so it’s easier to visualize where everything is going to be like,” Baird said. “I also feel like for the relay to it’ll be easier because everyone has been there before.”
If there is anyone who will be wide-eyed at the meet it is expected to be freshman Rachel Love who will be swimming in two individual events, the 200-freestyle and 500-freestyle qualifying for the state meet just two weeks ago during her preliminary swims at the Section 2 meet.
“I’d set a goal to make it in the 500-free, but my whole team expected, thought that knew that I was going to do (make the 200-free) and I was the one who didn’t think I was going to do it,” Rachel Love said. “With the 200-free I couldn’t believe it. I thought the timing system is wrong or something.
“For the 500- I was so tired after the 200- I was so tired I didn’t expect it, but it was a big surprise.”
Love is seeded No. 35 in the 200-freestyle and 24th in the 500-.
“I’m really excited to be with all these amazing girls and the whole team,” Love said. “That was really the goal.
“I don’t care as much how I do, but just to be with the team for two more weeks is great. I’m going to swim do my best and see how it goes.”
Friday’s preliminary swims will give way to a full afternoon and night of diving competition. The top 10 preliminary times will advance to Saturday’s ‘A’ finals, the next best times the ‘B’ final and the following group of 10, the ‘C’ final.
Awards are given to the 10 finalists, standing on the blocks in front of a packed house at the Ithaca College Aquatics Pavilion. There is a hope, sometimes a dream, of being on the blocks Saturday afternoon for the swimmers.
“I hope for these girls, they get to experience that moment because it is awesome, it is an incredible feeling,” Muldner said. “Not getting there doesn’t mean that they don’t have other great moments.
“I hope for these girls that they get to actualize their potential and be where I know they can be on Saturday, all of them fully.
“For Felicity, it’s all Friday, so for her to see her on the podium on Friday, would just be fantastic, it doesn’t diminish anything that they’ve done if they don’t make it there, but yeah, I mean it’s a great moment.”