The Shawano/Bonduel high school girls swim team will look to once again return to the top of the Bay Conference this season, after finishing second to Sturgeon Bay last season.
“Sturgeon Bay has been the main competition,” said Clare Martell, a Bonduel High School junior. “We beat them my sophomore year, but we did not beat them last year.”
Martell, a two-time state qualifier who took seventh in the 100-meter breaststroke at last year’s state meet, will play a major role in how the Hawks do this year, along with Shawano Community High School senior Ali Hanson, who was the Bay Conference swimmer of the Year and a state qualifier in in the 100 and 50 freestyle last season.
“We have a lot of really strong swimmers this year,” Hanson said. “Even the new swimmers on this team are very advanced.”
Martell, too, was optimistic as the team wrapped up its first week of practice.
“We have an older team this year,” she said. “A lot more seniors and juniors, fewer sophomores and freshmen. … We have a lot of people that I think could be really successful this year. It’s exciting.”
The duo have been trying to help their younger teammates.
“I’ve been helping with teaching strokes and technique, and making sure people are more familiar with strokes that maybe they weren’t good at last year or never done before,” Hanson said.
Malory Soper and Ailysh Tetting also qualified for state last season, joining Martell and Hanson on the 200 individual medley team.
The Hawks have set their sights on returning to Madison.
“My goal is to get back to state, get down to Madison. That would be exciting,” Martell said. “I’m hoping to go on another relay, too, with a new set of girls. We had one girl graduate.”
“I’m hoping to make sure we have a relay that goes and to make it to state in two individual events,” Hanson said. “I’m not sure what I feel like swimming in yet. I’ll figure it out as the season goes along.”
Hanson said the 50 freestyle is probably her strongest event, but last year she switched between the 100 butterfly and the 100 freestyle.
“It kind of depends on what I’m put in all season,” Hanson said.
Martell hopes to add another individual event to her resume after making it her freshman and sophomore years in the breaststroke.
“I only had one event individually this past year,” Martell said. “I really want to get a second event down to state. I want to try and make the 200 IM, which is a big goal for me this year.”
The Hawks open the season Aug. 23 at Marinette.
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