By Ben Cox
Photos/Submitted to The Source
The Bob Freesen YMCA youth swimming program has been a staple in the Jacksonville community since it opened in 1968.
Swimming lessons are integral to a young person’s health and physical fitness. It’s also a great survival skill. Competitive swimming as a whole in the area has seen a large uptick in interest over the last decade. Springfield’s Ryan Held gave many in the area someone to root for in the past two Summer Olympic Games.
Jacksonville has had some gold medalists of their own this past summer. The Sharks Swim Team, through the Bob Freesen YMCA, had a great long course season, ending with the state meet in July.
Coach Danielle Schnake says the team put up a great performance, “We had swimmers from [age] 7 to 17 that qualified. There’s different qualifying times for each age division, but we got the 10 and Under Girls Small Team award, the 11-12 Boys Small Team, 13-14 Girls, 21 and Under Girls, and the 10 and Under Boys Team awards. Then, we got first place with the girls combined scores and then first place for the boys combined scores and then first place for the overall team combined scores.”
It was the first time the team won with a combined score for all ages and genders. Their previous best finish was during the short course season, when they finished third at State back in March. The team also participates in the River County League, competing against teams from Missouri and the rest of the state. At the final meet for the league in July, the Sharks received a first place trophy.
Team members are Lyla Crowder, Marlowe Crowder, Clarissa Emerick, Owen Evans, Elianna Haxhinasto, Carson Maro, Lily Osborn, James Schnake, Maggie Schnake, Emma Sykes and Liam Sykes.
Swimmers are generally recruited from the regular swim lessons held at the YMCA. The short course season, which started earlier this month, will run until February. The long course runs from May to July. All swimmers are welcome to join and need only be able to swim the length of the pool to be able to participate.
Schnake says the team members really put in the work to train for good times in the pool, “It’s a lot of hard work and time. We practice five days a week for an hour and a half to two hours for the older kids. The younger kids are only in about an hour, so it’s a big time commitment and even missing two days of practice can really throw off your training.”
Schnake says it can be an alternative to other travel sports. New swimmer evaluations will take place ahead of the long course season next year.
For more information about the Jacksonvile Sharks Swim Team, or anyting going on at the Y, visit the Bob Freesen YMCA at 1000 Sherwood Eddy Ln. in Jacksonville, call the Y at 217-245-2141 or visit jacksonvilleymca.org online.
