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By Kristen Applebaum, Staff Writer
All of the early mornings spent in the YMCA pool before school have proved their worth as First Flight’s swim teams prepare for the conference meet after an undefeated regular season.
The conference meet will take place Saturday (Jan. 27) in Elizabeth City. After such a successful year, the team is expecting to dominate the competition in the water.
This year, Dave Tonnesen stepped up as the new coach of First Flight’s swim team. Right from the beginning of the season he was trusted to lead the talented swimmers toward success.
“The first meet went super well,” said senior Summer Tonnesen, now swimming for her dad. “He’s mixing things up this year a little bit, but everyone’s swimming has been great.”
The new coach’s methods have been helping the team full of new and young members quickly improve their swimming by focusing on drills and a lot of technique work.
“Technique is like the base and once you have that down then the speed comes with it rather than just being really sloppy and fast,” junior Cassidy Dietz said.
First Flight’s swim team has proved to be talented in previous years, but this year the Nighthawks are hoping to take it to the next level with nonstop improvements.
Coach Tonnesen makes sure the swimmers reach their full potential by encouraging them to try new events and to always swim their best.
“He really pushed people out of their comfort zone and it was lots of fun to try new things and felt really good after we did it,” Dietz said.
The men’s team, led by captains Alan Maniet and Logan Haas, consists of only 11 swimmers, but that isn’t stopping the group from showing impressive results. Seniors Dagen Gilbreath, Bryce Pugh and Mannon Haynes have qualified all three of the team relays for both regional and state championships.
The men’s team has also welcomed a few football players to join them in the water. Coach Tonneson has enjoyed teaching these novice swimmers and is impressed with the positive impact they brought to the team.
“Mannon Haynes, Sam Fitzgerald and Parker Sylvia brought great energy and competitiveness to the team and pushed themselves physically way out of their comfort zones,” he said.
Leading the women’s team, junior co-captain Cecilia Cortez has qualified for the state championships in every individual event and has helped the relays do the same.
“Cecilia is a better person than she is a swimmer and she is one of the greatest swimmers First Flight has ever had,” Coach Tonnesen said.
Following an exceptional season, the swim teams have high hopes for the upcoming conference meet but are still preparing for a challenge. The competition will only get better at regionals and then the state meet in Cary from Feb. 8-10.
“I am honored and privileged to coach these young ladies and gentlemen and I look forward to each practice and meet so that we get to challenge ourselves to become even better versions of ourselves,” Coach Tonnesen said.
Junior Kristen Applebaum can be reached at applebaumkr0910@daretolearn.org.
