BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
Last year, the Laurentian University swim
teams made a big splash in the pools around Ontario. They will
be looking to continue their wave of excellent performances
again this year.
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Left to Right : Stephanie Kuhn,
Willie Paul and Denton Bonney |
"We have another solid team and things are
looking well to, at least, maintain our position right now,"
said Parker. "With no graduates, it builds up our depth and
leadership. The rookies we did get have a lot of people to
follow and learn from and makes us stronger internally."
Led by stellar rookies Marshall Bonner and
Stephanie Kuhn, the women's and men's teams enjoyed
tremendous success.
Both teams are expected to be just as strong
again this year because there were no graduating student
athletes on either team.
For the men, the team is poised for a bust
out season.
Bonner, the Laurentian male athlete of the
year last season, is back and pushing himself harder than
ever.
As a rookie, Bonner was the OUA gold medal
winning swimmer in the 50-metre backstroke, OUA silver medal
winner in the 100-metre backstroke,
participated in the Canadian Interuniversity
Sport (CIS) championships, and swam at the Canadian Olympic
Trials qualifier.
"Marshall is a good example to follow," said
head coach Phil Parker. "His execution in racing is great. The
rookies and some of the veterans can learn quite a bit from
him."
Other key veterans for the men will be Ryan
Smith and Willie Paul. Both swimmers have the experience to get
the job done and both swam at the CIS Championships. Smith also
won an OUA silver medal in the 400-metre individual
medley.
"Both Ryan and Willie lead by example and are
great swimmers," said Parker.
The women will be looking to further
establish themselves in the water.
Kuhn, the Laurentian female athlete of the
year, is also back and looking to continue her climb to the top
of the heap in the OUA.
Kuhn is the defending OUA gold medalist in
the 100-metre butterfly, winner of an OUA silver in the
50-metre butterfly, winner of an OUA bronze
in the 200-metre individual medley, a CIS
Championships participant and swam at the Canadian Olympic
Trials qualifier.
The women's team is bolstered by Courtney
Hicks, Anna Leach and Erin O'Neill. All three participated
in the CIS Championships, and bring invaluable skills and
leadership to the club.
"Stephanie had a great summer and is a tough
trainer," said Parker. "She works hard everyday, as well as the
rest of the team, but she really stands out."
Parker sees plenty of strengths in his
veteran-ladened clubs.
"I think a key strength for both teams will
be the veteran leadership and the enthusiasm the veterans still
show after three and four years of varsity
swimming," said Parker. "Experience is
important, especially when you get to the OUA Championships.
These are big meets and knowing how to act and prepare yourself
is where the veterans help everybody out."
Parker will be looking for powerful
performances.
"It will take a lot of dedication and
sacrifices from each and every swimmer to push up in the
standings," said Parker. "It all comes down to hard work in the
pool, getting tougher everyday, along with sharp mental
skills."
