CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- For most people, barren trees and dropping temperatures signify the end of summer and the arrival of winter.
But for dozens of local high school athletes, the falling leaves and dwindling degrees mark another beginning.
The beginning of another swimming season.
And so far, South Charleston senior Travis Green has made the biggest splash of the 2008-2009 swimming season.
Green, a four-time state champion, returns for his final season having just announced his intentions to join the University of Kentucky swim team next season.
For Green, announcing his collegiate intentions was exciting. More importantly, it was a big relief heading into his final prep season.
"It's great to know where I'm going now so that I can focus on school and swimming more this year," the 6-foot-5, 190-pound Green said. "It's good to have that off my chest.
"It was a hard decision. It's always a hard decision for anybody choosing colleges. So it definitely feels nice to get that decision out of the way. I was very glad to sign with Kentucky because it's a great school."
For now, Green's toughest decision revolves around his event schedule.
"I'm a bit undecided," Green said. "I'm guessing I'll compete in the 500 (yard) freestyle, the 200 freestyle and possibly the 200 individual medley. There's maybe a couple more, but I'm still trying to decide at this point."
Green, who sports a 4.75 GPA in the classroom, won state titles in the 500 freestyle and 100 butterfly as a sophomore, then won state titles in the 200 and 500 freestyle last season.
"I really favor the distance events, so I love the 500 freestyle, the 200 freestyle, and I like swimming the mile," Green said. "Those events give you more room for improvement. The littlest things in distance races can make a huge difference."
Green also will join seniors Tate Ewing and David Dent, and junior Phil Fisher in to-be-determined relay events.
"I've really got a positive outlook for this season," Green said. "I'm excited about South Charleston's relays because we're really looking to buckle down with our relay team."
Green's individual event season started strongly last weekend with a pair of wins in the HYCAT High School Invitational Meet at the University of Charleston.
Green captured the 200 freestyle in a time of 1:47 and the 500 freestyle in 4:53.
"It was nice," Green said of the season-opening wins. "I would have liked to have gone a little faster, but I was happy with those times at this point in the season. Hopefully, I can improve on those times as we go through the season."
Green, however, isn't the only talented swimmer returning for area schools this season.
Several other defending individual state champions return to the pool this winter, as well as a handful of talented teams looking to dethrone defending boys champion Fairmont and girls champion Bridgeport.
* * *
FOUR-TIME individual state champion Katherine Crain returns for her senior season at Charleston Catholic and hopes to lead the Irish, who finished third in the state last season, to a team title.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- For most people, barren trees and dropping temperatures signify the end of summer and the arrival of winter.
But for dozens of local high school athletes, the falling leaves and dwindling degrees mark another beginning.
The beginning of another swimming season.
And so far, South Charleston senior Travis Green has made the biggest splash of the 2008-2009 swimming season.
Green, a four-time state champion, returns for his final season having just announced his intentions to join the University of Kentucky swim team next season.
For Green, announcing his collegiate intentions was exciting. More importantly, it was a big relief heading into his final prep season.
"It's great to know where I'm going now so that I can focus on school and swimming more this year," the 6-foot-5, 190-pound Green said. "It's good to have that off my chest.
"It was a hard decision. It's always a hard decision for anybody choosing colleges. So it definitely feels nice to get that decision out of the way. I was very glad to sign with Kentucky because it's a great school."
For now, Green's toughest decision revolves around his event schedule.
"I'm a bit undecided," Green said. "I'm guessing I'll compete in the 500 (yard) freestyle, the 200 freestyle and possibly the 200 individual medley. There's maybe a couple more, but I'm still trying to decide at this point."
Green, who sports a 4.75 GPA in the classroom, won state titles in the 500 freestyle and 100 butterfly as a sophomore, then won state titles in the 200 and 500 freestyle last season.
"I really favor the distance events, so I love the 500 freestyle, the 200 freestyle, and I like swimming the mile," Green said. "Those events give you more room for improvement. The littlest things in distance races can make a huge difference."
Green also will join seniors Tate Ewing and David Dent, and junior Phil Fisher in to-be-determined relay events.
"I've really got a positive outlook for this season," Green said. "I'm excited about South Charleston's relays because we're really looking to buckle down with our relay team."
Green's individual event season started strongly last weekend with a pair of wins in the HYCAT High School Invitational Meet at the University of Charleston.
Green captured the 200 freestyle in a time of 1:47 and the 500 freestyle in 4:53.
"It was nice," Green said of the season-opening wins. "I would have liked to have gone a little faster, but I was happy with those times at this point in the season. Hopefully, I can improve on those times as we go through the season."
Green, however, isn't the only talented swimmer returning for area schools this season.
Several other defending individual state champions return to the pool this winter, as well as a handful of talented teams looking to dethrone defending boys champion Fairmont and girls champion Bridgeport.
* * *
FOUR-TIME individual state champion Katherine Crain returns for her senior season at Charleston Catholic and hopes to lead the Irish, who finished third in the state last season, to a team title.
Crain captured the 200 and 500 freestyle titles as a freshman and junior. She missed the State Meet with a broken leg during her sophomore season.
Crain began the season on a high note with wins in the 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay at the season-opening HYCAT meet.
The Irish girls team took first place in the meet with 312 points.
"The best thing about Katherine is her drive to succeed," second-year Irish Coach Shannon Vollmer said.
"I wouldn't say she's the most talented swimmer in the pool, but she's the hardest worker and her hard work has paid off time and time again. She puts everything she has into every race she swims and that makes her tough to beat."
Crain teamed with Lydia Kidd, Samantha Runyon and Whitney Merrill for the relay wins.
Kidd took the 100 breaststroke event at the HYCAT meet.
The Irish boys team also sports a pair of strong swimmers in junior Joseph Abu Rahma, who won the 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley events at the HYCAT meet, and freshmen Jacob Crain.
Jacob Crain, Katherine's younger brother, shaved two seconds off the school record in the 100 breaststroke during his first time in the pool for the Irish.
* * *
GEORGE WASHINGTON'S boys team started the season on a winning note with a first-place finish in the HYCAT meet.
The Patriots finished fifth in last year's State Meet and look to be strong again this season.
Sophomore Thomas Moore, the returning 100 breaststroke champion, established a HYCAT meet record in that event with a time of 1:04.07.
Moore teamed up with junior Evan Walker, sophomore Michael Lynch and German exchange student Sebastian Enke to set a meet record in the 200 medley relay.
Moore also joined Lynch, Enke and junior John Hall for a meet record-setting performance in the 400 freestyle relay (3:37.24).
The Patriots' girls team, which finished second in last year's State Meet, also figures to be strong.
Senior Meredith Davis, the defending state champion in the 100 butterfly, established a HYCAT meet record in the event with a time of 25.81.
Sophomore Lexi Guiterrez also returns for the Patriots in hopes of defending her 200 individual medley state title.
* * *
NITRO SENIOR swimmer Alex Ross started the season well with a HYCAT meet-record performance in the 50 freestyle. Ross broke his own mark in the event with a time of 23.13.
The Wildcats' 200 freestyle relay team of seniors Lindsey Kerns, Ashton Clemens and freshmen Megan Clemens and Emily Ross also established a meet record in a time of 1:49.22.
