By Erica Singleton
The Charlotte Weekly
February 20-26, 2009 Issue
For Lindsay Bosek, swimming is nothing new. A year-round swimmer, the Charlotte Latin school freshman has been competing in the water since she was in elementary school.
But this year, her philosophy changed.
"Last season I just came to practice," said Bosek. "I wasn't at the top of my game--I was definitely at the bottom of the pack. This season, I decided it was going to be my season, so I started training a lot harder, and I started racing (during) practice instead of just racing (during) meets. My main focus (used to be) on the meets, but then I realized if I'm not training that hard in practice, I can't work as hard at meets."
Bosek's hard work and new approach have paid dividends in her first season on Latin's swim team.
Despite her youth, Bosek enters the Feb. 23 N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 3A meet among those favored to win a medal, mainly because she's undefeated in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events this season.
During the Feb. 10 Charlotte Independent Schools Athletic Association meet, which was dominated by Concord's Cannon School, Bosek was the only Charlotte girls swimmer to win more than one individual event. She won the 50 freestyle in 25.32 seconds and the 100 freestyle in 56.26 to help the Hawks (218 points) finish third in the team standings behind Cannon (257) and Charlotte Country Day (226).
"She's something else," first-year Charlotte Latin swim coach Patty Waldron said of Bosek. "She's got a bubbly, easygoing personality outside the pool. But once she steps up on that (starting) block, it's go time. It's almost like she goes into another zone."
At 5 feet 10, Bosek looks like she could move well on a basketball court, but the 14-year-old glides through the water with an ease that belies the tenacity with which she competes.
"She's very aggressive in a very athletic way," explained Waldron, "and you know the good ones always are. This is a kid who loves to win much more than she fears losing."
To say the least, Bosek is enjoying her first season with her Charlotte Latin teammates.
"We're kind of swimming in the same pond," laughed Bosek. "It's really different, but it's a lot of fun. You get confronted with a lot of physical and mental problems, but you just work through them."
Said Waldron, "They're an awesome bunch. It's been fun getting to know the kids, what they can do and, as their coach, how to best put the team together to get the maximum amount of points. They're just real easygoing. They'll do anything for the team. They love their school."
Waldron, who has spent the past 25 years working with the Mecklenburg Aquatic Club and also compiled meet entries with former Hawks coach Steve Howard, knows the Charlotte Latin girls team will have some tough competition at the upcoming state meet at Raleigh's Triangle Aquatic Center. Cannon is among the favorites to win the championship, as are Greensboro Day and Raleigh Ravenscroft.
But Waldron has a number of standout swimmers she expects to do well in individual events.
"Caroline Higgins really contributes a lot to the team and has been a solid scorer in her individual events (100 backstroke and 100 butterfly) and really cranks up a relay," says Waldron.
"Maggie Gardner (200 individual medley) and GIllian Mahoney (200 and 500 freestyles) really do a tremendous job. Caroline Rand, who is not a year-round swimmer but is a talented athlete, really does a great job. Catie Faison swims the 200 IM, 100 breaststroke, and sprint relays; she's very versatile and has done a great job for the team. And freshman Ella Branch makes a killer speed tandem with Lindsay. It's awesome they are both freshmen and speed queens contributing on relays."
During the conference meet, the 200 freestyle team of Bosek, Higgins, Mia Kane and Branch tied Charlotte Country Day's Katie Nelson, Hayden Bumgardner, Austin Olive and Julia Barry for second with a time of 1 minute, 46.10 seconds. Bosek, Higgins, Gardner and Rand took third in the 400 freestyle relay in 3:58:62.
... Waldron doesn't see any reason Bosek and her teammates shouldn't do well at the state meet.
"(Bosek) swims fast because she can," Waldron said. "She's very attuned to what she can do well. Her (year-round) coach Alan (Pfau) has really dialed into some of the finer (details of her swimming). We work together to help her be the best she can be. She's got a long, good career in front of her, as long as she likes it."
Still, being new to high school swimming, Bosek has kept her goals fairly simple this season.
"I've dropped (times) in a lot of my events," she said. "It will be interesting to see what happens at the end of the season. I broke 25 (seconds) this year, which was my goal in the 50 freestyle (and) is really, really good for me. I want to break 2 minutes in the 200 freestyle (relay, which is my next goal, but we're still working on that."
And this season Bosek has shown that, when she works hard, good things happen.
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