The math is quite simple: a short roster means fewer swimmers in the water in an 11-event meet, and that translates into the easy accumulation of points for larger teams.
That will be the situation facing the Perry swimmers this season, as 21-year veteran head coach Jean Dowd will have to juggle her seven-girl lineup to maximize their scoring potential.
“We will try and score as much as we can, of course, but there will be some meets where there won’t be much we can do about that,” she said. “That means our focus — and it always has been the main thing — will be on individual improvement. We made some good strides last year and I am confident we can keep it up.”
Seniors Sarah Vaughn and Avery Miner return for Perry, as does sophomore Jaylene Karolus. Joining the team is freshman Rhylan Ayers, who is new to the sport.
Perry is continuing their sharing agreement with Panorama, and three Panthers will be making the drive to the MCB to compete. Junior Amanda Holwegner and sophomore Gracie Phillips are back for another season and will be joined by junior Hailey Meacham, who swam on the Perry Area Winter Swim (PAWS) team and who has experience with Guthrie County.
“Our attitude has been great and the girls have been working hard,” Dowd said. “I am looking forward to seeing how low we can drop some of these times.”
Perry opens their season Thursday at the McCreary Community Building pool when they host Algona. The dual meet begins at 6:30 p.m.
