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Green Dragons Are Developing Raw Talent

Chris Hoffman/Highlands Today

Lake Placid's Robert Greene is poised to be Michael Wilkes' successor in the freestyle events for the Green Dragons this fall.

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By CHRIS HOFFMAN

Highlands Today

Published: September 8, 2008

LAKE PLACID - Mike Trujillo's attention kept swaying toward the record board near the Lake Placid swimming pool, as he was asked about the upcoming Green Dragon swim season on Friday.

"My goal for the season is right up there," said Trujillo, who was pointing toward the 100-yard breaststroke record. "I pass that record every day and every time I get into the pool. That record has stood for so long and I want to be the one to take it down."

The breaststroke record in question is the 1:06.48 time that was set by James Baker back in 1991 and one that Green Dragon head coach Tom Creel says is ready to be overtaken.

Trujillo finished with a time of 1:15.73 at the Class 1A regionals last season, while swimming behind senior Zach Lavoy, but is poised to take a stab at the record books.

"Mike has a legitimate shot in breaking that record if he continues to improve and keep working toward that goal," Creel said. "It's going to be a tough record to break, but he has to go after that time every day."

Creel is not a coach that's afraid of acknowledging the records and makes a point to introduce the swimmers to the board and some of its records that some have stood since the 1980's.

"I always bring up the records to the kids and I think that instills goals in each swimmer," Creel said. "It gives each kid something to shoot for and it should be important to them to get their name up there."

The Green Dragon swim team is younger than they've been this decade, as the majority of swimmers are either freshmen or first-year sophomores, which make this a challenging season for Creel, who takes over the head position vacated by LP athletic director Cindy Rivers.

"As a team, we got a late start with many kids not having physicals and of course the huge storm that eliminated two days of practice this week," Creel said. "We're still in the process of evaluating what we've got in terms of newcomers and getting them wet."

With so much youth, the returning swimmers have been asked to take on an even bigger leadership role, as they are busy with teaching the newbies the different training practices and getting them familiar with being a member of the swim team.

Senior Marbelly Creel laughed when she commented on the biggest hurdle for the newcomers to the swim team.

"It's hard for them to put their face in the water," Creel said. "It sounds weird, but a lot of them have a fear of that. When you're doing the butterfly and swimming with your face in the water is a huge hurdle for them, so we have drills to get them over that fear."

Last season, Creel was impressive for a senior-laden squad by earning a pair of top-ten finishes at districts, placing fifth in the 200-yard individual medley (2:53.21) and seventh in the 100-yard butterfly (1:16.51), while also a member of the 200-yard medley and 200-yard freestyle relay teams.

"Marbelly is one of those swimmers that's good at all the strokes," Creel said. "What I'd like to see from her this season is to swim with more aggression. She swims because she enjoys it, but now I want her to take it to another level.

"I want her to swim with more hunger."

Junior Tammi Beach proved that she is the successor for Danielle Rivers in the freestyle events last season by finishing third in the 200-yard freestyle (2:15.65) to qualify for regionals, while also a member of the Green Dragon 200 and 400-yard freestyle relay teams.

Beach made a conscious effort to work hard over the summer to come into training camp in shape by working with Marvin Wolfe and the Highlands Hurricanes swim team.

"Coach Wolfe really helped me a lot," Beach said. "He would help me tweak my form or technique and maximize my swimming ability.

"I made a point to stay in shape this summer because I want to set an example for the young swimmers and also be on the top of my game when the season starts."

When asked about the relay teams, Creel and Beach both wondered who would join them in the pool with the departure of Rivers and Chelsea McGuire.

"The chemistry we had on the relay team was something I think we took for granted," Beach said. "We could read the other girls and knew when they were touching the wall and now we just have to try and find that same kind of chemistry."

Freshman Shannon Cummins is one of the standouts during the handful of practices that Creel has run his team through this week and has the potential to make an impact.

"Shannon started very young with the Lake Placid Aquatics team and kept it going until she was about 10 years old, but she decided to stop swimming," Creel said. "She came up to me during open house and asked if she wanted to start swimming again. I got her back in the pool on Thursday and she remembers everything she learned as a child.

"I don't know exactly how well she'll do this season, but I do remember that when she was in the pool, she's fun to watch and has the tools to become a solid addition to this team."

The surprise of the '07 season was the emergence of Kevin Smit, who as a freshman, earned a spot in the regional finals in three events that is almost unheard of for a first-year swimmer.

"Kevin surprised everyone at just how good he did last year," Creel said. "He attended the summer swim program prior to joining the swim team and he didn't know all the strokes, but he had the desire and showed what a little determination can bring you."

In his first year of competitive swimming, Smit earned top-three finishes in two individual events - third in the 200-yard individual medley (2:32.77) and second in the 100-yard butterfly - and was a key member of the Green Dragon 200-yard freestyle relay team. His efforts earned him a spot in the regional finals in all three events, a rarity for a freshman.

"I think I was even surprised at how quickly I adapted to swimming competitively," Smit said. "Coming into this year, I'm ready to go even father in regionals and work on making it to state."

Junior Robert Greene enjoyed a breakout season as a sophomore last year by making it to regionals in four events, while swimming behind the All-Heartland Swimmer of the Year Michael Wilkes.

Greene placed fourth in the 50-yard freestyle (24.80) and sixth in the 100-yard freestyle (58.19) and a member of the first place 200 and 400-yard freestyle relay teams.

"Robert has his sights on Wilkes' records," Creel said. "He's out of Wilkes' shadow but he couldn't have asked for a better person to learn behind. Robert soaked up all that knowledge and inherited Wilkes work ethic which is going to be a key asset in helping him this season."

As team practices progress, the Green Dragon swim team will begin to take shape and Creel knows that they have a bunch of good kids who have the desire to become a good swim team.

"We've got a lot of raw talent with all the new kids," Creel said. "But the one thing we are all looking for is that diamond in the rough. It's my job to find them."

Chris Hoffman can be reached at 863-386-5827 or at choffman@highlandstoday.com.

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