LeBlanc Masters Her Strokes
January 27, 2010 by Editor ·
By Eliot Schickler
Jan. 27 – Natalie LeBlanc epitomized the strength, success and integrity of the girls swimming team this year. A senior captain who consistently won her events, received the Richard Rollins award from current Staples Coach Mike Laux (the Rollins award, which was named after Laux’ predecessor, goes to the swimmer who has given the most to the team).
“I was definitely extremely excited and honored to receive it,” LeBlanc says. “The Staples swim team has meant a lot to me over the past four years. I think it’s such a great group of people and I’m thankful to be a part of it. I like to get involved when I care about something and I tried to help it be the best it can be.”
She was good her first three years for the Lady Wreckers but this year, she stepped it up.
“After the past four years, I learned the right balance between my high school and club swim [Zeus in Norwalk] teams,” LeBlanc says. “I know my abilities and the balance I needed to perform my best. Because it was my last year, I wanted to do my best. The team being supportive made a big difference.”
The backstroke is her primary event and she consistently won it for Staples. It has been her main event from the time she first swam it and in the Class LL finals, she placed fourth in the 100-yard back with a time of 1:01.11.
“After you swim something so much, you know what techniques work for you and how to swim the race,” LeBlanc says. “Once I began to swim it well, I had the mindset that these are my strengths and I worked to improve it.”
The 200-individual medley was her other main event and at Class LL, she finished 13th in the 200-yard IM (2:16.77).
“In general, my coaches have taught me good technique and endurance,” LeBlanc says. “I’m pretty strong in all my strokes and I’m confident I can swim my best in all events.”
Although she possesses confidence in her self, she understands her limits. This enables her to excel in the 200-IM and have good transition while going from the butterfly to the backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle.
“Overall, the breaststroke is my weakest stroke and I learned how to strategize my race that I can keep up with my opponent in the breaststroke,” LeBlanc says. “Learning how to strategize is an important part of swimming and I’m able to do it.”
LeBlanc doesn’t just succeed in individual events, she’s strong in relay events as well. In fact, she has a high pressure position on the 200-medley relay in which she leads off as the backstroke leg. Not only does she lead off this particular race but she is the first person in the pool because this is the first event of the meet.
“It’s a lot of pressure but the pressure helps you as long as it doesn’t get to you,” LeBlanc says. “High school [swimming] is more a team experience and you want to perform well not just for yourself but for your team as well.”
She also swam a leg for the 400-freestyle relay and her position varied from race to race.
“Being in a relay is a different experience because three other girls depend on you to swim your fastest,” LeBlanc says. “You go in with a different mindset and swim your heart out from the beginning.”
Swimming has always come naturally for her and she began taking lessons in her early years. She first swam competitively for Shore Haven Country Club at age 8.
“My mom swam a little bit when she was younger,” LeBlanc says. “My parents saw I had ability and put me in it when I was younger. When I made good friends in it, I began to enjoy it a whole lot more.”
At age 9, she joined Zeus.
“Zeus has helped me because it focuses on endurance and high school teaches technique,” LeBlanc says. “Mixing the two has helped me the past few years.”
Leadership is another strength of hers as she served Staples as captain. She led by example through her work ethic and verbally by always encouraging and directing them.
“It’s definitely a lot of work but in the end, it helps you become close with the other captains and the rest of the team,” LeBlanc says. “I’m happy to have the opportunity and it’s something I’ll look back on and remember.”
Laux says, “She’s a fantastic swimmer and captain. She’s a quiet leader, is popular with the girls and knows how to use her personality in working with the team.”
One future Lady Wrecker who has learned from her is her sister, eighth grader Gabby LeBlanc, who is strong in the breaststroke.
“I look up to Natalie a lot because she’s accomplished a lot with her swimming,” Gabby LeBlanc says. “She’s done well for Staples and I want to do well for Staples when I get there. She helped me a lot because she’s good at the strokes I’m not good at. I can learn about technique from her and the importance of streamlining.”
Academically, she has taken AP and honors courses. English is her favorite subject.
“It’s something I learned, you have to handle your overall time for studying and find time to relax afterwards,” LeBlanc says. “It’s hard to catch up when you fall behind and I try to get ahead.”
Next year, she plans on swimming in college and knows she’ll need to raise her performance a few levels. She’s undecided about her major and career plans.
“I have to remember everything I learned from previous experiences and merge it with what the new coach teaches me,” LeBlanc says. “Also, I can never give up. If I balance my academics with swimming, it will all pay off.”
Laux says, “Natalie will do very well and she’ll be one of the best swimmers wherever she goes.”
Reprinted from The Westport News
SHS Swimmers Will “Swim for Haiti”
January 21, 2010 by Editor ·
On Tuesday, February 2, three weeks to the day after an earthquake struck Port-au-Prince at 4:53 pm, Staples Swimming, the Westport Swim Club and the Westport Weston Family Y Water Rat Swim Team will “Swim for Haiti” to raise money for Save the Children’s relief efforts. The fundraising event will take place at the same time at both Staples High School and the Westport Weston Family Y.
The Staples Boys Swimming & Diving Team will Swim for Haiti during their regular practice time, 2:30 pm. Members of the Boys Water Polo Team, Girls Swimming & Diving Team and Girls Water Polo Team are invited to participate. Click to download an information packet.
Boys Swimming tri-captain Cameron Bruce and captain’s mom Linda Bruce are the contact people for the Staples Swim for Haiti. Swimmers should use a contributor sheet (which is part of the information packet) to record donations. Contributor sheets may be turned in during Swim for Haiti or at practice. But all contributor sheets and checks are due no later than practice on Thursday, February 4, 2010. The next day Staples Swimming will deliver the money to Save the Children.
Twenty-one days after the earthquake has symbolic significance. More than half of Haiti’s population is under the age of 21. Children are at particular risk in the weeks ahead, which is why Staples Swimming and the Westport Weston Family Y have decided to support Westport-based Save the Children.
Peggy Mevs, the mother of Staples swimmer Gabby Wimer, was born in Port-au-Prince. She has family members who were affected by the earthquake, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives. Following the quake, Ms.Mevs feverishly tried to contact her family to no avail. Then at 2:00 AM she received this e-mail from one of her cousins:
Thanks Peggy,
There are no phone working except for CDMA provider Haitel. It has been the most unreal day in my whole life. The Montana Hotel and the Villa Creole Hotel has collapsed. Almost everything is destroyed.
The family is ok.
One niece with broken legs. Walked almost two hours to get home to my kids. Took me five to locate my wife. We are all together and fine. My brother in law’s parent lost their house and kid nephew buried in it. We lost our gardner buried under a wall.
So on… So much casualty…
You got the ideas.
Are sleeping on the lawn at friends.
Cannot get to my house.
A collapsed building is blocking the road.
Thanks for asking.
Gregory
Ms. Mevs received one more message from Gregory before his Blackberry battery died.
Haitians need as much help as they can get and they need it as soon as they can get it. That is why all of the Staples Swimming coaches and captains hope we can count on your support as we raise money for Haitian relief.
Dartmouth-bound Kratky Masters Diving
January 8, 2010 by Editor ·
By Eliot Schickler
Jan. 8 - Megan Kratky developed quickly into a college-level diver. A senior diving captain for the Staples swimming and diving team this fall, she will be diving for the Dartmouth College women’s swimming and diving team next year.
“The [Dartmouth] coach said he wanted me and I’m really excited about being on the team,” says Kratky.
Unlike most collegiate divers who have worked on their craft since they were 8 years old or younger, she began diving sophomore year when she stopped doing club gymnastics and decided to do a fall sport at Staples. Being a veteran gymnast at Arena in Stamford helped her find her niche with the Lady Wreckers.
“I wanted to get involved with high school sports and I had no idea about it,” recalls Kratky. “I was new at it and I tried to get better. Diving is the same thing I like about gymnastics, all the flipping and twisting, which made the transition easier.”
Staples girls swimming coach Mike Laux saw she’d succeed as a diver and has consistently scored points for the next three years.
“She’s a great athlete, a great girl, improved tremendously over the years since she started to dive and is a quiet leader,” says Laux.
Once she joined the team, Lady Wrecker diving coach Jeanine Oburchay coached her during the high school season.
“Megan has done a great job and came a long way since she began to dive sophomore year,” says Oburchay. “She’s a team leader, works hard and I was fortunate to coach her the past three years.”
Sophomore year, she joined the Staples gymnastics team as well and was an All-State gymnast the next two years. Although she was stellar in gymnastics, diving piqued her interest and during the winter of her junior year, she started to dive for Whirlwind Diving in New Canaan under the tutelage of coach Joe Somma and hasn’t stopped working with him ever since.
“He’s absolutely wonderful and a great coach,” says Kratky. “I went over there, met Joe, thought I’d love the program and I did. I’m trying to improve and I’m working on getting better.”
When she first joined Whirlwind, Somma saw she had potential and relished the opportunity of taking her under his wing.
“She’s come a long way in a short period of time,” says Somma. “I think the key for Megan is being a gymnast and having a diver’s body. She has long lines, good entry and a good toe point.”
The similarities between diving and gymnastics don’t end with the skill sets both sports require. Both sports are subjective in nature in which a score sometimes depends on a judge’s opinion and many athletes have disagreed with the score. The ability to remain composed, even when she disagrees with a score has helped her psychologically in meets.
“I’m used to it,” says Kratky. “I can’t control the judges and I go out and do the best I can do.”
She started gymnastics at age 6 and credits her time and effort at Arena for her success at the club level as well as for the Lady Wreckers. The balance beam is her favorite event and she experienced success in it, winning state titles in it for Arena and the FCIAC title for Staples sophomore year.
She credits Arena beam coach Laurie DiFrancisco for her success and likes the event because it pushes her to do well in it.
“Beam is a challenge and I like trying to perfect it,” says Kratky. “Keeping my composure was always a challenge but I worked at it. Laurie DiFrancisco is known nationally and is one of the best beam coaches in the country.”
Growing up, she played soccer from kindergarten to eighth grade but stopped playing because it was too much of a commitment and it conflicted with gymnastics. Similarly, she gave up gymnastics even though she loved it because she wanted to devote her time to diving.
Leadership is a strength of hers as she served as diving captain, leading the divers by example through her work ethic and verbally by communicating well with them.
“I loved having the opportunity to be a leader on the team,” says Kratky. “I was honored to be a captain.”
Academically, she takes mostly AP courses and a few honors courses. She’s also the team’s representative to the Staples Scholar-Athlete banquet and the first diver to garner this honor. Economics is her favorite subject.
“I have to be really efficient,” says Kratky. “I have practice after school and I have to make the best use of my time.”
She’s undecided about her major but is looking forward to attend Dartmouth. In order to succeed on the diving platform, she knows she’ll have to improve because she’ll be facing tougher competition.
“Practice is important,” says Kratky. “I know they have a great team and I’m glad to be a part of it. I know I have to gain experience because it’s only been a year I’ve been into diving [fulltime]. Dartmouth is my dream school and I couldn’t be happier going there. I like the size of the school, the outdoorsy focus and its sports program. I thought I’d fit in and I’d have a great time there.”
The coaches are confident she’ll do well there.
“Colleges need good divers and she’ll be a good addition to their team,” says Laux.
Oburchay says, “She’s such a committed athlete, goal-oriented and will do great. She’s a great, is easy to coach and Dartmouth is lucky to have her.”
Somma says, “She hasn’t tapped into her ability yet. The more she dives, the better she gets. If I were her college coach, I’d be excited to have her because she’ll get better and better. She’s a great girl, she works hard and whatever she does, she’ll be successful in life.”
Reprinted from The Westport News
