Ask Michael Stanton to explain the improvement of the Churchill boys, and he hesitates, then proceeds with a breakdown of the Bulldog girls.
Pose the same question to coach Rodney Van Tassell, and he too is stumped.
“I’m not really sure,” said Van Tassell. “I still think our girls are better than our boys.”
But the proof is in the results. With dual meet wins over Montgomery County’s reigning champions at the division (Walter Johnson) and county (Whitman) level, it’s the Churchill boys (3-0) who have emerged. Not bad for a team relegated to Montgomery County’s Division II two years ago.
Churchill has few stars. The only Bulldogs who fit the description are Stanton, a sophomore diver who was third in the county meet last year, and Chris Pham, a junior who placed in the top 10 in the 100 and 200 free.
But the Bulldogs have thrived with depth. Freshmen Jack Shu, Zach Baron, and Chris Verboncouer have been an injection of talent. Several holdovers have improved including senior Greg Reutershan, sophomore Andrew Fisher, and juniors Jon Segars, Dan Sologuren, and Alarich Linke.
“We have some good individuals. Chris Pham is ridiculous,” said Stanton. “But I think the real difference this year is that we just have a lot of good swimmers.”
In a win over Walter Johnson, the Wildcats won more events, but couldn’t match the Bulldogs’ ability to consistently pick up points from swimmers in the outside lanes.
“We have 10 guys who can go 51 [seconds] or faster in the 100 free,” said Van Tassell, who has been the coach at Churchill for six years. “We’ve never had that. Not even close.”
Van Tassell believes Churchill’s biggest challenge will come from Wootton in 10 days. One area Van Tassell willnot be concerned with is his relays.
“Last year we had to try to load up either the first or the last relay,” said Van Tassell. “This year, we’ve got so many good swimmers, we don’t have to stack. There’s even enough talent fill out the B and C relays with solid guys.”
Girl power
» The Churchill girls (1-2) are led by sophomore Dorothy Yu.
» The Bulldogs boast several outstanding freshmen girls including Jenny Erickson, Alicia Watkins and twins Karen and Kathy Chen.
» Freshman Alexandra Stanton and sophomore brother Michael ensure diving excellence for the Bulldogs for the next three years.
