New Swim Coaches To Get Feet Wet Post Falls Joins Sandpoint, Lake City, Cda In Pool

As swimming starts for North Idaho high schools, spectators will see a lot of new faces. Mostly new coaches. And even one new team.

Last year’s Lake City and Coeur d’Alene coach, Carolyn Magee, has moved on to Wenatchee, Wash., to coach state champion Eastmont. She’s been replaced at CdA by Rich Swoboda and Dave Daboll and at LC by Steve Reed.

Also, responding to parents and students, Post Falls High has put together its first team. The Trojans will be coached by Cindy Clutter.

All four new coaches have extensive backgrounds in swimming, and all are teammates on the Inland Empire Masters Swim team. The lone veteran coach is at Sandpoint, where Mike Brosnahan begins his fourth year. The Bulldogs boys return as district champions.

Saturday, Sandpoint will host the North Idaho Ice Breaker, the season opener for all teams.

Brosnahan is confident his teams will have an edge in their first meet.

“We’re going to sweep it,” said Brosnahan, who lost only two members from last year. “Our women will have a chance of winning, and our men will definitely win it. They’re all pretty motivated.”

Sandpoint’s boys will rely a lot on a relay team that returns intact after placing at state. The unit consists of juniors Ben Palmer and Chas James, and senior Josh Burt.

Some key newcomers are freshmen Kate Foord and Erika Parsons, who are “hot freestyle sprinters,” according to Brosnahan. Among the top young boys is freshman Wil James.

“I think every men’s record we have will be beaten this year,” said Brosnahan, who sees his team as a lot stronger and faster than last year. “And I wouldn’t be surprised if all of our women’s records go down, too.”

Post Falls had 36 swimmers turn out. Clutter’s expectations at the first meet aren’t as high as Brosnahan’s.

“As far as placing, I haven’t even talked to the kids about that,” Clutter said. “I want them to be comfortable and I want them to enjoy it and to want to come back. They’re very, very young and they don’t even know what a meet looks like. As far as win, win, win, that’s not my philosophy.”

A handful Trojans have swim-season experience.

“I think everyone will be surprised,” said Clutter. “What’s going to help us over the other teams is our numbers. I’ve got enough kids to place in every event.”

Eight Trojans are involved in two sports. Some are playing volleyball, others are out for cross country. They will miss a meet or two, Clutter said.

Trojans to watch are Desiree Johnson (100-meter backstroke, 100 butterfly), a nationally ranked U.S. age-group swimmer, and junior Janelle Ruen.

Others who could make an impact are freshmen Jessica Isenberg (100 butterfly) and Bernadette Detar, and junior Megan Billetz.

The Trojans have 10 boys on their roster and Clutter hopes that number will grow.

At Coeur d’Alene, Swoboda, who only has 10 members on his boys team, believes a large team isn’t everything.

“All 10 of them have swimming experience except for one,” said Swoboda. “It’s a small team, but a good team.”

He believes he has a “well-rounded team” that practiced hard in the offseason.

“The boys are going to win for sure,” Swoboda said. “With the girls, we are going to see what we have.”

The Viks will be led by junior Brad Kleinjans, a state champ last year, a record holder in the 100 backstroke and a 50 freestyle winner.

Other returners are sophomores Tom Allen, who was a finalist in the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly, and Will Stilwell, another finalist. Key newcomers are junior Dan Taylor and freshman James Peterson.

The girls team has only one returning senior, Marissa Harrison, who will be joined by Kleinjans’ younger sister Ashley.

“We’ve got 15 girls, mostly freshmen. They’re young and inexperienced,” said Swoboda. “(Ashley) and Marissa will pretty much be the horses of the team. The more meets they swim, the better they’ll get.”

Lake City may be the girls team to beat after winning the State A-1 championship last year and placing second the year before.

However, the Timberwolves have lost two key strokers, Lindsay Taggart and Brooke Sprague, one-half of their relay team. Taggart graduated and Sprague moved.

Sprague brought Lake City a state championship in the 50 and 100 freestyle.

But don’t let the losses fool you. The T-Wolves are packing a lot of power with their returners.

Sophomore Sarah Thilo, a state champion who set a record in the 200 freestyle and also took first in the 500 freestyle, has returned along with junior Megan Taggart, state-record holder and champion in the 100 backstroke.

Junior Ben Siegler, the state champion last year in the 200 freestyle, and senior Ian Wood, who placed in the 200 freestyle, return for the boys team.

, DataTimes