• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Us
  • Videos
    • Featured Video
    • Foodie Friday
    • Monthly ReCap
  • Online E-Editions
    • This Week’s E-Editions
    • 2023
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
  • Social Media
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
  • Advertising
  • Local Jobs
  • Puzzles & Games
  • Circulation Request

The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

  • Home
  • News
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills/East Pasco
    • Business Digest
    • Senior Parks
    • Nature Notes
    • Featured Stories
    • Photos of the Week
    • Reasons To Smile
  • Sports
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills and East Pasco
    • Check This Out
  • Education
  • Pets/Wildlife
  • Health
    • Health Events
    • Health News
  • What’s Happening
  • Sponsored Content
    • Closer Look
  • Homes
  • Obits
  • Public Notices
    • Browse Notices
    • Place Notices

Young Wharton ‘Cats taking to the pool

September 20, 2012 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

No area swim teams were more affected by graduation than the Wharton boys and girls.

Gone are the The Laker/Lutz News Boys and Girls Swimmers of the Year in Danielle Albright and Chad Ankers, who qualified for the Class 3A state meet in four and two events, respectively.

Sophomores Ryan Heckel, left, and Connor O’Halloran dive into the pool during a recent Wharton swimming practice.

“Both of them were very good leaders, not only because they were good swimmers but because they were vocal,” said Julia Lamb, who has been one of the Wildcats’ coaches for six years. “You knew when they were there and they were definitely captains.”

While the Wildcats lost their top swimmers, the graduates have left an impression on those who return.

“(Danielle) didn’t put pressure on herself,” said sophomore Dee Sopapong. “I would get more nervous before a race. I want to be more like that.”

Connor O’Halloran, who competes in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle and 200 individual medley, added, “From watching Chad I improved my stroke. He had really long strokes. I’m more like his build. I’m taller with longer arms, so I’ve copied his stroke.”

Lamb has also seen new leadership in boys like sophomore Ryan Heckel, senior Jeffrey Stump and O’Halloran and girls like sophomore Katie Scott.

“Katie is going to be a good replacement,” Lamb continued. “She’s a captain this year, and she’s going to be a big help in replacing Danielle’s enthusiasm for the team.”

Scott, who does the 100 backstroke and 200 freestyle, got a taste of the state meet last year while on the 200 medley relay with Sopapong and Albright.

“It was so exciting,” Scott said. “Not a lot of freshmen get to go to state, but I was able to. I was on a high the whole time. The team last year was good, and we had a tight-knit group. We knew from the beginning that we were going to go to states. … In club I’m not usually one of the top swimmers, so it was nice to be one of the top dogs. It was cool to be able to say, ‘Yeah, I’m first or second.’”

Scott said she feels more comfortable leading now that she has experience with high school swimming.

“Last year, I was always wondering if what I was doing was OK; am I doing this right,” Scott said. “Now I know the game and know how to do things. I’m definitely more aware of what it takes to get to states.”

Sopapong knows what it takes to make states in four events: 100 breaststroke; 200 individual medley; 200 medley and freestyle relays. Her best performance came in the breaststroke, where she took sixth overall with a finish of 1 minute 6.56 seconds.

“Dee is going to be our big guns,” Lamb said. “She’s a sophomore, but she will make it to states in both of her events.”

Sopapong, whose family moved from Thailand when she was 9, started swimming at age 5 and has high hopes for this season.

“This year I want to get a medal, so top three,” Sopapong said.

Sopapong said she’s been working on staying underwater longer during swims, which allows her to maintain momentum off the start.

For the boys, O’Halloran has been working to improve his breaststroke and backstroke in order to qualify for is first regional meet. Heckel, who did the 200 and 500 freestyle last year, has been working on improving in a pair of new races.

“I’ve never done the fly in a race for high school, so I want to see what kind of time I can get,” Heckel said. “For freestyle, I’ve been working on the 100. I don’t know why, but I’ve always liked freestyle and the 100 is something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Wharton has high hopes for this season but also has an eye to the future with so many young swimmers.

“Some of the guys who started this year, if they stick to it and practice, they have some potential,” Heckel said. “Hopefully that means good things for the team in the years to come.”

The Wildcats host Lennard Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m.

 

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Search

Sponsored Content

6 Reasons to Consider Remodeling your Bathroom with CMK Construction

March 21, 2023 By Kelli Carmack

Have you wanted to remodel your bathroom for a while now, but need that little extra push to make your decision? Check … [Read More...] about 6 Reasons to Consider Remodeling your Bathroom with CMK Construction

Avalon Applauds African American Club of Pasco

March 7, 2023 By Kelli Carmack

One of Avalon Park Wesley Chapel’s main missions is being a champion for culture. “Celebrating culture is a vital … [Read More...] about Avalon Applauds African American Club of Pasco

More Posts from this Category

What’s Happening

03/27/2023 – Humpty Dumpty

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will present “Once Upon a STEM: Humpty Dumpty” on  March 27 at 4 p.m., for kindergarten through third grade. Participants can learn to build contraptions that will save their ‘eggs’ (environmentally safe, no real eggs) from their fall. Registration is required online at PascoLibraries.org. … [Read More...] about 03/27/2023 – Humpty Dumpty

03/29/2023 – Adult Tabletop Games

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host an Adult Tabletop Game Night on March 29 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., for ages 18 and older. Games will include: big Jenga, life-sized connect four, dominoes, playing cards, assorted board games, and more. For information, call 727-815-7126. … [Read More...] about 03/29/2023 – Adult Tabletop Games

03/30/2023 – Watercolor painting

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host “Tween Hangout: Watercolor Painting” on March 30 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m., for free after-school painting in the courtyard. For information, call 727-815-7126. … [Read More...] about 03/30/2023 – Watercolor painting

04/01/2023 – Bunny Hop Eggstravaganza

The Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway, will host a Bunny Hop Eggstravaganza on April 1 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be bounce houses, games, music, food trucks, and scheduled egg scrambles. The event will be at the outside football fields and basketball court. Registration is required to participate in the egg scrambles. The cost is $3 per child. Children ages 2 to 10 can register with their age division and time frame at Secure.rec1.com/FL/pasco-county-fl/catalog. For questions, call 813-929-1220. … [Read More...] about 04/01/2023 – Bunny Hop Eggstravaganza

04/01/2023 – Cacti and Things

Kessler’s Cacti and Things will host its annual Spring Plant Sale on April 1 and April 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, at Bearss Grove, 14316 Lake Magdalene Blvd., in Tampa. The event features thousands of plant varieties, and an assortment of specimen and collector’s plants. For information, email . For questions and directions, call 813-264-5614. … [Read More...] about 04/01/2023 – Cacti and Things

04/01/2023 – Dade City Art Walk

The Downtown Dade City Art Walk will take place April 1 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will be more than 20 art locations for guests to meet the artists and shop local artwork, as well as a little Pre-Casso Exhibit for young aspiring artists. There will be an opening ceremony at 5 p.m., along with a map distribution, at Florida Cracker Lunch on Limoges. … [Read More...] about 04/01/2023 – Dade City Art Walk

More of What's Happening

Archives

 

 

Where to pick up The Laker and Lutz News

Copyright © 2023 Community News Publications Inc.

   
%d bloggers like this: