Lake Orion High School girls swim coach Darin Abbassee’s expectations were high for his team this year, but he said so far the kids are meeting them.
“They’re looking very good, and they’re a very balanced team,” he said about two weeks into the team’s practice schedule. “We graduated Lauren LeBrun and Katherine Roesch, but this team is approximately 13 more swimmers than last year’s team.
“It’s definitely a larger diving team,” he continued. “Last year we had two (divers), this year we have eight.”
The diving team also has a new coach this season, Betsie McCormick. The swimming and diving team combined number 45 this season, with 16 freshmen, 17 sophomores, and nine juniors.
Returning seniors for the Dragons are diver Krista Koehs, co-captain Elizabeth (Lizzie) Galvan, and co-captain Heather Kline.
“We’re more competitive this year, and I’m very optimistic we could be a top five contender in OAA II,” Abbassee said. “We’re still a couple of years away from a championship.”
Now in its sixth year, LOHS’s program is now starting to see the effects of the Liquid Lightning competitive swim program, that also comes out of Lake Orion.
“Kids are coming in with a competitive background,” he said. “We have more kids swimming year-round. Soon a majority of our kids will be a participant (in Liquid Lightning).”
The Dragons will focus on improving their stroke events, with freestyle events their strong point this season.
“We expect to have people qualify for the state meet in freestyle events…sophomore Emily Roesch qualified last year in the 500 freestyle and we expect she will again. She could also qualify in the 200 free this year.”
Lake Orion would also like to take its 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams to the state meet.
“Emily and Hannah Price are returning members of those teams,” Abbassee said. “Lizzie Galvan, Natalie Cornet and Natalie Spisak, and Erin Sutton also, individuals like them will help us qualify.”
Abbassee called the breaststroke event Lake Orion’s “weakest link” right now.
“Events such as the individual medley (IM), butterfly, they are weak points,” he said. “In backstroke, we’re pretty deep, but the other races could see improvement.”
Abbassee is pleased with the work ethic his team has shown early in the season, and with the leadership of the returning seniors.
“We’re led by a very good senior group,” he said. “I couldn’t be any happier. They’re getting along as a team, and we’re well-balanced at the lower ages.
“We’re very pleased to have a large freshmen group of swimmers,” he said.