SPRING HILL - In her 10th season coaching Central, Julie Withington is getting her second wind, hopeful as ever in her newest batch of swimmers. It's the first year Withington is teaching at the school, which "makes a big difference," she said.
Withington has made the most of her position as a physical education teacher by posting flyers in the hallways and making announcements over the PA system.
Her message? Join the Central team. Come one, come all.
Withington's efforts were rewarded with one of the biggest rosters the program has had in years. She has eight new boys on the squad and 25 girls.
The Bears used to have large boys and girls teams in the early 1990s, but Hernando County has seen a declining interest the past few season. Withington hopes this is the year things start to turn around.
"It's nice that we have a full team of girls," Withington said. "I'm looking forward to a really fast relay team."
The girls are anchored by sophomore Rae-Lynn Sheffield, who placed fifth in the 100-yard backstroke at the Class 2A state championships last season. Withington also is excited about freshman Elizabeth McGheehan, a talented year-round swimmer.
On the boys side, Sandy Brault brings three years of experience to the team, and four other returnees will give the Bears something to build on.
HURRICANE HEADACHES: Weeks into the season, most area swimmers still haven't seen any real action thanks to Tropical Storm Frances and the threat of Hurricane Ivan.
Some meets were to begin Saturday when Ivan loomed close, and other scheduling conflicts canceled Tuesday night's Springstead-Crystal River-Nature Coast Tech tri-meet (re-scheduled for Sept. 29). "We haven't been in the water too much," Springstead coach Justin Hengesbach said. "It's been frustrating,"
