Bridgeport Swim Team Coach Jan Grisso remembers when 6-year-old Becka Crandall made a splash on the Bridgeport Wildcatter Swim Team. As the young competitor grew up, Grisso looked forward to having her on the Indian Swim Team.

 

Sometime later, Grisso became familiar with the name of Sarah Stallman, who also excelled in the sport. Again, she patiently waited.

 

“I keep saying I’m going to retire, but then I know of this new crop of kids coming up and I stay,” Grisso said.

 

Nearing the end of the 2015-2016 swim season, Crandall and Stallman – and their teammates – did not disappoint.

 

Saturday, the team captured boys’ and girls’ championship titles at the West Virginia Region III swim meet at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Crandall, Stallman and Woody Cavallo were named first team all-conference and John Carter was named to the second team.

 The girls claimed victories in the 200-medley relay (Stallman, Crandall, Jenna Soltesz and Malia Howard), 200-yard freestyle (Crandall), 200-yard individual medley (Stallman), 100-yard freestyle (Stallman), 500-yard freestyle (Crandall), 200-yard freestyle relay (Howard, Catie Wilson, Crandall and Stallman). 

 

Boys’ victories included 100-yard butterfly (Cavallo), 100-yard freestyle (Cavallo), 500-yard freestyle (Carter), 100-yard backstroke (Harrison Hess), 200-yard medley relay (Hess, Carter, Cavallo and Devin McIntyre), 200-yard freestyle relay (Cavallo, Jack Funk, Hess and Carter).

 

Grisso said she knew she had some promising swimmers when the season began back in October, but she admits she never imagined her team would capture the regional wins and that 13 of her swimmers would qualify individually for state competition.

 

“They have just really been hard workers. They are a great group of kids who have a great work ethic,” she said. “They don’t miss practices, which is important.”

 

Talent, work ethic and determination, combined with increased pool time, has definitely made a difference in this year’s success, Grisso said.

 

“We used to have a limited amount of time at the (Harrison County YMCA), but this year the Y has given us more time,” she said. “This year, our kids have had opportunity to be in the pool four to five times a week when we usually only got two to three times a week. So that has helped, too.”

 

Swimmers such as Crandall, Stallman, Cavallo, Carter and others swam up to their known potential and accomplished victories in their respective events, but other team members provided unexpected surprises.

 

“Harrison Hess was a big surprise,” Grisso said. “He has progressively gotten better and better, but this year he just grew and really did a wonderful job.”

 

Also gaining Grisso’s attention for a job well done was senior Malia Howard.

 

“I just think Malia had a wonderful leg of the 400-freestyle relay,” she said. “She really did well – and I think everybody as a whole team did.”

 

Individually, nearly every swimmer bettered his or her time Saturday, Grisso said.

 

“I’d say 98 percent of their times were better Saturday than before,” she said.

 

The Indian Swim Teams will participate in the state swim meet to be held Feb. 18-19 at West Virginia University. The Tribe also had 13 swimmers qualify individually.

 

The top three places get automatic bids to the state meet, Grisso said. Additionally, 12 swimmers are chosen based on times. With that method in place, none of the state’s fastest swimmers fall through the cracks and miss the opportunity to compete on a state level. Qualifying boys were Cavallo, Carter, Hess, Jack Funk, Titus Smith, Devin McIntyre and Victor Rodriquez. Girls qualifying for state action were Crandall, Stallman, Howard, Amna Haque, Jenna Soltesz and Catie Wilson. Casey Stallman will serve as alternate.

 

“If you qualify less than seven, you can take an alternate,” Grisso said.

 

She pointed out that Carter, Rodriquez and Stallman are all freshmen.

 

“And Catie Wilson – though a sophomore – never swam until this year,” she said. “Catie has just been a pleasant surprise this year. In her first year to swim ever, she’s ranked seventh in the state in the 50-free. She’s just a good athlete overall and a hard worker. She also has a work ethic that has made her successful.”

 

Wilson and Hess are among the Indian swimmers who have excelled this season and are not year-round swimmers.

 

In addition to her athletes, Grisso acknowledges Assistant Coach Jack Merinar.

 

“Jack is just an expert when it comes to swimming,” she said. “The fact that he gives up his free time to do this gratis is really something. He is a very busy man and for him to do this for these kids says a lot about him.” 

 

Editor's Note: See entire Region III swim results HERE. Photos are courtesy of swim parents.