Student Spotlight
Small Fish in a Big Pond
Dublin Coffman swimmers reflect on historic state win By Grace Lenehan Vaughn
On Feb. 22 at Branin Natatorium in Canton, Ohio, the Dublin Coffman Girls Swim Team – led by coach Steve VonSchriltz – made history by taking home the Division I State Championship title for the first time. The girls accomplished this feat against some tough odds, as the state team was only made up of six swimmers: Kristyn Sabol, Hannah Bailey, Ellie Andrews, Ava Warren, Emma Bowman and Gretchen Schneider. Because of their small team size, the swimmers knew they needed to win as many events as possible to have a chance of taking home the gold. Specifically, then-junior Andrews needed to win both of her individual events and the team needed at least one relay win. When the team arrived to the meet the day of the championships, nerves were high. The first race was the 200 meter medley relay, which was a must-win for
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the team. Freshman Schneider kicked off the race with backstroke, keeping up with upperclassmen on the other teams. Next was Andrews, who, with the fastest split in the pool, gave Coffman a strong lead. Senior Bailey then kept the team ahead with her butterfly lengths and freshman Bowman wrapped up the relay with freestyle, winning the race. “It was incredible,” says Bowman, recalling the win. “I didn’t know we won at first because I couldn’t see a couple of the girls, and I look up into the stands at my parents and they’re holding up number ones. I remember just screaming and jumping out of the pool and hugging the other three girls and we were so excited.”
The medley relay gave the Coffman Shamrocks a great shot at the title, but the girls didn’t let this get to their heads as the events continued that meet. Andrews went on to win both of her individual events which helped her earn the title of Girl Swimmer of the Meet. Senior Sabol placed second in the 200 meter freestyle and wrapped up the meet as part of the third-place 400 meter freestyle relay with Andrews, Schneider and Warren. All the team’s events earned them the winning score of 214 points, and for Sabol, ending her senior year on such a historic note was a dream come true. “I couldn’t be happier for myself and my team and my coach,” she says. “We all worked very hard this season and we had the goal since the beginning. My coach had introduced us to the goal at our first www.dublinlifemagazine.com
