Continuing to Grow: Tyrone Swimming Gaining Numbers

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The Tyrone Golden Eagle swimmers are excited to get back in the water for a more competitive season. Numbers have risen dramatically in recent years. The boys have at least 12 swimmers and the girls have doubled their team size from last year to approximately 30 swimmers. 

The team collaborates with Bellwood, similar to tennis and soccer. However, swimming is the only Tyrone sport that also includes students from Bishop Guilfoyle, making it Tyrone’s only three school sport.

Returning Districts swimmers include seniors Austin Quinn and Allison Hosko, juniors Bryce Bauer and Blake Slobodnik, and sophomore Gwen Dougherty.

The team is definitely larger, so we will have more opportunities to score points.

— Austin Quinn

“It’s great [to collab]. We wouldn’t have the numbers [we have] without the collabed team,” said Head Coach Tom Getz, who is entering his ninth year as Head Coach of the Eagles. “[We] see everyone come together quickly [even though they are from different schools].  [The swimmers get to] meet new people.”

The athletes are also excited by the increased numbers.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how our teams perform with the large numbers we have and to see how my times will compare to last year. We lost a few talented swimmers but we gained a lot of good athletes with potential so with a lot of hard work we will be a better team,” said Dougherty.

“The team is definitely larger, so we will have more opportunities to score points,” said Quinn.

Many new swimmers are already experienced in the sport and are ready to be a part of the Tyrone Eagles.

“As a whole [team], [I hope we] have fun and [that I] get to know people. I definitely wanted to be on a high school team,” said Bishop Guilfoyle freshman Sarah Manna.

“We have a lot of new members, which is always a good thing, and the goal of any team is to get bigger and improve, but we also lost some great swimmers last year,” said senior Taylor Hoover.

Many returning swimmers are both excited to be back in the water and sad to be leaving soon.

“Being my last year, [I hope to] spend time with teammates and help my sophomore friends. [I want to] win as many meets as possible. [We should be able to] compete with some better teams,”  said Bellwood senior Saige McElwain.

With returning standout Blake Slobodnik, the team should be strong in the distance events, the boys 200 and 500.

“This year’s biggest challenge is getting the new swimmers up to speed on what we expect from them and what they want to see from us as being the [experienced high school swimmers] of our team. I’m looking forward to seeing how far we can push each other through this season to see where we make it in the end like Districts and States or better winning them all,” said Slobodnik.

The team’s first meet is Friday, December 16th at the Tyrone pool at 6:00 against Bellefonte.