Issue 8 - North Canton City Schools - sparcc

[ sports ]Collins cracks top 10 at State meetBy Lindsy Wise staff writerYou and 24 other people are standingaround in your bathing suits. Sure, it couldbe a nerve wracking situation, but then adda dead silent audience just watching all ofyou. After all of this, realize that you are atthe state diving competition with a plankof wood standing between you and yourgoal.Feb. 24, senior and four-year diverBrittany Collins stood in this very situation.Along with her 24 other competitors, shecompleted 11 different dives in front of apanel of judges. By the end of the night,Collins had claimed ninth place and reacheda personal goal with a score of 362.95.“My goal was Top 10 this year,” Collinssaid. “I made that by a good 10 points.Although eighth place was only 1.7 pointsaway, I am very happy with my finish andI’m glad I was able to improve from lastyear’s 14th place finish. My competitionwas much harder and I proved to myselfthat I am just as good as those seeded aheadof me.”Despite stiff competition and “nervousexcitement,” Collins remained confidentthanks to practice, her coach and her parents.“Jon, my coach, has been with me longenough that he knows what works with meand what doesn’t. He let me do my thingall week and just helped me keep in thezone,” she said. “My parents were onceagain extremely thrilled and helped me keepa level head so I didn’t get too nervous.”Diving coach Jon Lagrou believes thatthrough her confidence Brittany foundsuccess this year.“Some people think success is makingfirst, second or third, but success comeswhen you try hard,” Lagrou said.While some divers used the statecompetition as their last chance to show off,Collins will be continuing her diving careernext year at Bowling Green StateUniversity.“Next year I will be getting used to theways of college diving and doing well,along with doing well in my classes,” shesaid.Those near her believe that she will haveno trouble stepping up to the challengebecuase she is “a fighter.”“She doesn’t like losing and she didn’tlose all year,” Lagrou said.Britney’s fellow senior Richard Neadingagrees.“She has a very strong work ethic and isvery goal oriented,” Neading said.And although it will be an adjustment,Collins is looking forward to many aspectsof the college diving world.“The judges will actually know how toscore, and the scoring will be harder, alongwith all my competition. My diving list willalso become harder, I hope,” she said. “Ialso have to weight train.”Somewhere between reaching her yearlonggoal at state and gearing up for a brandnew college diving career, Collins hasrealized just what she will and won’t missabout life as a Hoover diver.“I will miss my coach for sure, alongwith my team,” she said. “I had such a greattime getting to love every one of them, butI will not miss 8 o’clock to 10 o’clockpractices every night.” nVMisanik snags record, league titleBy Lindsy Wise staff writerTimers clear your watches, swimmerstake your mark, go! Again.Feb. 26 was two meets in one for EmilyMisanik, who swam the 100 breaststrokenot once, but twice at the state swim meetin the C.T. Branin Natatorium in CantonOhio. After swimming a 1:07.64 during thepreliminary round, she came back just sixhours later to take 13 th with a 1:08.04. Thefirst time would earn her the school recordin the event, previously held by MelissaYoung since 2003. First place went toLindsey Graessle, a sophomore at KingsHigh School, who swam it in 1:03.79.“It felt amazing. Getting the record wasdefinitely something I’ll remember forever,just looking at the score board and lookingat coach and seeing his big smile,” Misaniksaid.Besides her impressive state ranking andrecord, Misanik was named the FederalLeague Swimmer of the Year. It was hardlysomething she expected.“I was so surprised,” she said. “I wasupstairs and coach called me and he askedfor Ms. Federal League Swimmer of theYear. After the state meet I wasn’t sure Iwould even have a chance. . . I thought Iblew it.”Misanik is not the sole title holder; sheshares it with Jackson junior Cara Froman,but she hardly minds.“To be able to share the honor with CaraFroman is awesome because we grew uptogether swimming at the YMCA,” Misaniksaid.Misanik’s sister Rachel, an eighth graderand swimmer for the YMCA Nemesis team,was at the meet cheering and taking notes.“I was really proud of her. I know howhard she works and I’m glad she got whatshe wanted even though it wasn’t her besttime,” Rachel said.Coach Matthew Johnsen has alsowitnessed a “drastic improvement” inMisanik’s swimming and was very pleasedwith her showing at state and her record.“I thought she did a great job consideringthe circumstances– being by herself and nothaving been there in a year,” he said.Even though there are 51 weeks untilMisanik has another run at state, she isalready back into dry land training with hercoach right there to push her.“Whatever she decides to use as a goaltime is her prerogative,” Johnsen said. “Iam just going to try and help her reachit.”Never to settle, her goals includedropping her time again, which would leadto the resetting of her record.“My main goal is making it to state finalsnext year,” Misanik said.Misanik’s goals are not entirely timeoriented either. After having her older sisteron the team to guide her, Misanik is aboutto return the favor as Rachel prepares to jointhe team next season.“Next year I am really looking forwardto having my sister on the team and sharingthat experience with her and being a leaderfor the underclassman on the team,” shesaid. nV2.04.05 u the viking views u EXTRA