Establishing a good example

Bryce Alderton

Some of the pressure has been taken off Estancia High girls swim

coach Bob Bandaruk.

His only two seniors, Jayme Fay and Lihini Keenawinna, along with

junior co-captains Britta Pitti and Marilyn Reich, motivate others to

get in the pool and swim hard, and Bandaruk believes that drive will

result in a faster, and better Estancia swim team.

“It’s nice because I don’t have to be the one getting on the

girls,” said Bandaruk, who began his third season at Estancia when it

beat visiting Loara Friday, 86-58. “(Fay, Pitti and Reich) are

stepping up and making sure the girls get to the pool on time.”

Bandaruk feels the team will be much improved from last year, with

a majority of swimmers making the transition from water polo to

swimming.

“It’s nice to begin the season in shape,” Bandaruk said. “We spent

two weeks getting in shape for polo.”

Three juniors and six sophomores complement 12 freshmen, making

the Eagles a fairly young team, but one that Bandaruk is excited

about.

Junior Lauren Mahan joins Pitti and Reich alongside sophomores

Jordi Bradshaw, Malinda Hallock, Courtney Hess, Jessica Kasper,

Amaryah Thaler and Jazmin Flores, who played on the basketball team

during the winter.

Reich’s forte is the 100-yard breaststroke and Pitti will be

strong in the 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley, Bandaruk said.

Keenawinna’s best strokes are the 200 and 500 free and Fay should

perform well in the 500 free, he added.

Carolina Barnes and Katie Mahan are the two top freshman swimmers,

according to Bandaruk. Barnes is strong in freestyle and backstroke,

while Mahan will sprint in the free.

Marina Abdul, who played on the soccer team, along with Andrea

Bray, Lauren Cushing, Allison Dalton, Lauren Donner, Mitzi Herman,

Devon Metkovich, Haley Rosner, Ashley Schultz and Susan Cloud round

out the freshman class.

Bandaruk mentioned the team’s goal is to make the top 3 in the

Eagles’ new league -- the Golden West.

“Marilyn and Britta are setting good examples for the girls to

follow,” Bandaruk said. “They know the hard work it takes to swim.

We’re going to do a lot better than what we were.”