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Abby Miller, Senior – Neshaminy High SchoolBrian Suter calls senior Abby Miller, a ‘home-grown product.’ The Neshaminy senior is certainly a good advertisement for the Redskins’ program.
Miller is not only a positive leader as a team captain, she also is a contributor in the pool.
“She’s really been training hard,” Suter said. “She’s been putting her heart and soul into practice and is getting tired.
“Kids get into little ruts, and mentally they have to get through that. Abby went into the (league) meet on Friday night and made a decision that she was going to go for it in the 200 free.”
Miller – who anchors both the 200 and 400 free relays and had already qualified for districts in the 100 free – turned in a monster performance at the SOL meet, not only in the 200 free but also in the 50 free.
The senior captain captured second in the 200 free with a time of 1:59, which represented a drop of six seconds off her time. She also took third place and qualified for districts in the 50 free with a time of 25.48.
“She wasn’t even qualified for districts going into the league meet (in the 50 and 200 free), and she had gotten some confidence back,” Suter said. “She just had a breakout meet, and I think that builds her confidence to say, ‘I can do this. With some rest, I can achieve some really good results in districts.’
“She had a six-second drop in the 200 free, and she’s not even tapered yet.”
Miller is hoping to continue her swimming career at the collegiate level.
“Her performance this weekend, from a recruiting perspective, definitely changes the kind of recruiting that could happen,” Suter said. “You go from a walk-on kid to maybe getting looked at now. It was a big meet for her going into the district meet.”
Miller and fellow captain Alexis Alexander have also been instrumental in keeping the Redskins together after they lost their pool two weeks ago because of flooding. They are now practicing at Sandburg Middle School.
“Basically, none of my athletes have access to real starting blocks,” Suter said. “We’re going to a district championship where relays are a major part of it, and our team can’t even prepare for it.
“At leagues, we literally had to strategize our warm-up so we could get on the blocks and practice our starts because we hadn’t seen (starting blocks) in two weeks. Now we’re going two more weeks without starting blocks. As a team, they have to really stay focused on having great performances and doing what we can.”
According to Suter, the team’s ability to stay focused is a tribute to its captains.
“They’re great captains,” he said. “We’ve had to cut practices early because of transportation. Yet, we’re still competing. I’m really proud of all of them, and the leadership of the girls’ team helps that.”
About Abby:
How long have you been swimming competitively? I began swimming competitively at the age of seven in the Neshaminy CORE program. Initially, we, as a team, only swam in USA sanctioned meets. Then when I was 11, CORE joined the Suburban Aquatic League. This enabled us to participate in more meets, swimming as a team rather than as individual swimmers. I joined the Neshaminy High School varsity team as a freshman.
Favorite memory competing in swimming: My favorite memory was in my sophomore year I was able to achieve district times in the 50 and 100 freestyle in the Last Chance meet. This showed me the value of perseverance in achieving your goal.
What do you enjoy most about swimming? I most enjoy the aspect of team spirit and loyalty. Through my career on the Neshaminy High School swim team, the idea that there is no ‘I’ in team was a frequent reminder.
My role models are: My mom for her modeling of diligence as well as Coach Suter, Coach Hill and Coach Marquis for modeling the importance of cooperation and teamwork.
Music that gets me pumped: ‘Kryptonite’ by Three Doors Down and ‘My own worst enemy’ by Lit
Favorite TV show: ‘The Golden Girls’
Favorite school subject: AP Environmental Studies
Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate
Andie Blaser, Junior – Central Bucks West High SchoolWhen the Central Bucks swim teams chose to hold a swim-a-thon to benefit autism research, CB West coach Vibeke Swanson didn’t have to look far to find someone to help organize the event.
“Andie became the point person for our team,” the Bucks’ coach said. “She sent e-mails out, encouraged the team to get pledges and made arrangements for bagels afterwards.
“She got all the kids ready to go and psyched them all up. It was a fun day. She just took the helm and made things so easy.”
Blaser is equally willing to help out in the pool and happily swims any event that will help the team.
“She has had to come from behind and won relays on a regular basis for her team,” Swanson said. “She is a quiet presence yet gets the job done.”
Blaser, according to Swanson, also happens to be the team’s fastest swimmer. She finished second in this weekend’s SOL Continental meet in the 100 butterfly.
“She’s also an excellent 100 freestyler,” Swanson said. “She’s made districts in pretty much everything she swam this year.”
As a freshman, Blaser competed in districts as a member of the relays. Last year, she competed as an individual and has improved her times every year.
“She’s not really outspoken – she’s fairly shy, but once you get to know her, she starts opening up,” Swanson. “If she has an idea she thinks is a good one, she’ll stand by it. She’s strong that way.
“There are so many things I admire about her.”
About Andie:
How long have you been swimming competitively? 10 years - since I was seven years old.
Favorite memory competing in swimming: During my sophomore year at a meet against our rival sister school, CB East, I was set to swim the 100 fly, and Coach Swanson hoped that I could win the event. At the beginning of the race, I didn’t hear the starter say ‘Take your mark,’ and so when the buzzer sounded, I was still standing on the block while the rest of the heat dove in without me. I just stood up there on the block, and I kept thinking, ‘There’s no way that just happened!’ I thought I was going to be disqualified, but the officials gave me a time trial, so I swam it by myself with no one to race against. When I hit the wall, I looked up at the time on the board and saw that I had made the district cut for the first time and that I had won the event! I was walking on air, so happy to have scored a victory for the team at a meet like that.
What do you enjoy most about swimming? I love the team dynamic. You can’t ask for better friends.
Who is your role model? My grandmother is a wonderful, strong person, and I learn a lot from her.
Music that gets me pumped: The song ‘Yes’ by LMFAO is hilarious, but it also gets me focused. I love the line, ‘Every day I see my dream, every day I see my dream.’
Favorite TV show: ‘Modern Family’
Favorite school subject: English
Chocolate or vanilla: Absolutely chocolate!
Courtenay Willcox, Senior – Upper Merion High SchoolTalk about saving your best for last – Courtenay Willcox did just that.
Upper Merion’s senior captain established new school records in the 200 and 500 freestyle at the SOL American Conference championship. Willcox broke the 500 free record at a dual meet late in the regular season, finishing with a time of 5:23 and then topping that at the league meet with a time of 5:21.29. The previous record – which stood for 18 years - was 5:24.58.
In the 200 free, Willcox swam a personal best and broke the two-minute mark as well as the school record with a time of 1:59.82. The previous record of 2:00.71 had stood for close to six years.
“No one is more deserving than Courtenay,” coach Jeff Bugenhagen said. “She’s one of the most dedicated swimmers, and her work ethic in practice is incredible.
“She is not tapered yet, so we’re looking forward to districts.”
While putting her name in the school’s record books, Willcox captured the league title in the 500 free and finished fourth in the 200 free.
Willcox is the youngest of three siblings to go through Upper Merion’s swimming program. She grew up swimming summers at Martin’s Dam. She is a diligent worker and challenges herself by swimming against the boys at practice.
“She’s continued to improve over four years for us,” Bugenhagen said. “She swims morning practices, afternoon practices and never lets up.
“She’s a really consistent swimmer, and she has a great attitude.”
About Courtney:
How long have you been swimming competitively? 12 years
Favorite memory competing in swimming: Winning the 500 freestyle at the league championships in 2010
What do you enjoy most about swimming? The feeling of accomplishment after a hard set or great race.
My role model is: My sister
Favorite TV show: ‘Friends’
Favorite school subject: Math
Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate
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