Could destiny for this year's Bartlesville High girls swimming team include state title?
Could this be the Season of The Golden Sixth for the Bartlesville High School girls swimming team?
This years wavy wars begin at 5:30 p.m. this Thursday at the Phillips Aquatic Center in downtown Bartlesville.
From the 2014-15 through the 2018-19 seasons, the Lady Bruin program powered to five straight Class 6A state titles. But a decrease in numbers — with reasoning ranging from graduation and other departures, and partly to COVID — and the resultant drop in experience transformed Bartlesville to also-ran status since the 2019-20 campaign.
Well, also-ran might be a little deceiving. Last season Bartlesville lost the state title by just a half-point.
With his entire team back from last year, plus the addition of former home schooler Tristin Weaver and fresh talent, veteran Bartlesville head swim coach Chad Englehart could guide Bartlesville to its sixth girls' state crown in 10 seasons.
The Bruin boys aren’t quite in the same position — not due to amazing talent but due to a shortage of veteran swimmers. They still could finish third or higher in state.
“I think the name of the game this year is going to be versatility,” said boys' senior captain and multiple state gold medalist Griffin Craig. “That’s the kind of the biggest thing we’re working on as a team now, kind of getting everyone on a level so we can swim more events.”
Englehart is starting his 10th season as the Bartlesville head swim coach.
“I’ve loved watching the kids growing up from a young age,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of these kids since they were in kindergarten or first grade and it’s been enjoyable watching them to grow into young independent men and women. From my first class, some of my swimmers like Greta Olsen and Kate Steward are married with families. It’s neat to see the kids grow up and fulfill their dreams.”
Following is a closer look at both the 2023-24 Lady Bruin and Bruin squads.
Lady Bruins return plenty of experience
Bartlesville returns nine swimmers that advanced to the ‘A’ Finals in last season’s Class 6A state meet — but no gold medalists.
Bartlesville's 2022 state 'A' Finals scorecard was:
Silver: Calli Richards (100 breast); 200 free relay team (Regan Patzkowski, Annabelle Droege, Lily Talbot, Emma Howze); and 400 free relay team (Ashlynn Taylor, Richards, Talbot, Howze).
Bronze: Howze (200 free), and 200 medley relay team (Taylor, Richards, Patzkowski, Droege).
Fourth place: Howze (100 free); Gabrielle Burke (500 free); Taylor (100 back); and Richards (200 individual medley).
Fifth place: Droege (100 fly, 200 I.M.).
Sixth place: Talbot (200 I.M.).
Seventh place: Taylor (200 I.M.).
Eighth place: Addison Williams (100 breast); and Erin Roper (500 free).
“We’ve got a really veteran group of girls,” Englehart said. “I think they’re pretty committed to finish solid.”
In addition to the nine girls mentioned above, Weaver — a proven talent with the Bartlesville Splash Club — could provide an instant splash of success.
Cara Moore, Macie Stapleton and Julie Vilardo are other state competition veterans.
On the Bruins boys' side
Bartlesville's boys’ teams won’t overwhelm opponents with a long roster, but it should dominate, anyway, with superior performances and higher points.
Back to lead the team are defending state champions Craig (100 backstroke) and Cody Lay (500 freestyle).
Craig took part in four state ‘A’ Final competitions. In addition to winning the backstroke, he burst to second in the 200 individual medley, helped the 400 freestyle relay team finish second and the 200 medley relay team finish third.
Lay came in fourth in the 200 freestyle and filled a spot with the 400 freestyle relay squad.
Other state-tested placers are Luke Olsen (100 free, 5th; 100 free, 6th; 400 freestyle relay, 200 medley relay); and Ethan Peterson (200 medley relay).
It might seem hard to believe that with only those four swimmers, plus now-graduated Jarrett Moore, the Bruins finished third as a team in state. Needless to say, optimism is high with the addition of home schoolers but swimming veterans Zane Deal and Camden McDonald and freshmen Parker Shoesmith and Aysen Offutt.
“The guys have a nice team,” Englehart said. “I don’t know if we’ll have enough boys to push over the top as far as top two finish as a team.”
Perhaps late-bloomer is too simplistic of a term to characterize Craig’s pool achievements, but he made a huge burst of progress from his eighth-grade year to his high school career.
“I feel that I’ve progressed exponentially,” he said, crediting the Splash Club/high school staff of Englehart and Mike Lewellen for being the catalysts for his development.
“I was not breaking state records when I was 13,” Craig said about the role hard work has played in his success. “A large portion of it (progress) has been keeping my head down and grinding. That’s what I preach to everyone who aspires to do their sport at an elite level. … I work really hard and I have since the end of my eighth-grade year.”
In speaking of the local swimmers as a whole, he said: “We really pride ourselves on our work ethic and drive and ambition. I think that’s the difference.”
He credited his teammates and coaches for creating a pervasive culture fueling individual improvement.
Craig is preparing to formalize next week his commitment to the University of Missouri and plans a change of event this year for the postseason. He'll stick with the 100 back, in which he is a two-time defending state champion, but will adopt the 100 butterfly as his other major event.
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Could destiny for 2023-24 BHS girls swimming team include state title?
