Pasco: Here today, gone tomorrow

Here today, gone tomorrow

By STEVE LEE, Times Staff Writer

LAND O'LAKES -- Margie Chamberlin's freshman season at Land O'Lakes could be her last.

A club swimmer who practiced three times a week for Team New Tampa this fall while practicing once a week and competing in one meet a week for the Gators, Chamberlin placed third (58.04 seconds) in the 100-yard butterfly in the Class 2A state meet.

That marked the best state finish for any county swimmer, but it was not enough to earn a letter.

"High school (swimming) wasn't as fun as I thought it was going to be," Chamberlin said, adding, "I don't think I'm going to swim for them next year."

"(Land O'Lakes coaches) said she wasn't really part of the team enough," said Rod Chamberlin, Margie's father and former president of the Land O'Lakes Lightning club team. "It's not the letter. It was the fact that they didn't have an appreciation for what Margie did to contribute to the team."

Land O'Lakes coach Barbara Hayes, who also has coached the Lightning, acknowledged Chamberlin did not receive a letter but would not elaborate.

Hayes did, however, have something to say about the freshman's performance in the pool.

"We are very proud of Margie and her accomplishments," Hayes said. "She's a very dedicated swimmer with an excellent work ethic."

Amanda Paulo, a four-time state qualifier and 2002 Hudson graduate, emphathized with Chamberlin. A three-time state champion in the 100 backstroke, Paulo said she did not receive letters as a senior or junior.

"It's not fair, but people knew I swam for a club team and they know I won a state championship," Paulo said. "It did get to me. It did get under my skin. It's just petty stuff."

Paulo's former coach, Nickol White, explained that swimmers must attend most practices as well as meets to letter in swimming.

"In a lot of other sports you have to attend 100 percent of the practices," White said. "It's a team sport, not an individual sport."

Land O'Lakes' previous coach, Glenna Chamberlin, resigned before this season in part to watch her daughter.

"I wanted it to be her time and not take away from that with my being her coach," she said.

The Sunshine Athletic Conference meet was a barometer for Chamberlin's postseason. She set conference records in the 200 free (1:59.29) and 100 fly (59.40) before teaming with Heather Anderson, Sarah Seidle and Sarah Goolsby to become one of two 200 free relay teams to break the SAC record.

Next came the 2A, District 5 meet. Chamberlin won the 100 fly (58.18) and placed second in the 200 free (1:56.86).

Chamberlin's preliminary time of 57.14 at the state meet was the 14th best in the nation and made her a National Interscholastic Coaches Association (NISCA) All-American.

"I don't really care so much about the letter now because I have the NISCA thing," she said.