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December 1, 2008

Duncan seniors find motivation in expectations

Michael Pineda

DUNCAN — While Duncan seniors Caylin Lynch and Jennifer Smith has made their name in softball and soccer, they have taken to swimming like, well, like fish to water.

The two swimmers have helped lead a resurgence in Duncan swimming with one relay qualified for state after getting shut out of the state meet last season. Both seniors are among eight girls that are competing for the four spots on each relay.

“It’s a relief that we qualified early,” Lynch said. “We know we’re going to get better. We want to push ourselves so we can compete at the state meet.

“We have a lot of young girls and in the time that I have been with the team, they have improved a lot. We’re working hard and seeing the benefits.”

The Lady Demon team has pushed itself early in the season, picking up wins in all three of its meets. Entering the season, Duncan was picked last in the state because it did not have any state qualifiers last season, giving the girls the edge needed to jump out of the gate quickly.

“It was motivation,” Smith said. “I didn’t want to be last.”

Smith is an exchange student from Germany who prefers soccer to swimming but has a strong history in both sports. She has been swimming since she was 10 years old. In joining the Duncan swim team, she has been able to make friends she might not otherwise have known.

“It is a good way to make friends,” Smith said. “I love to be in the water and I enjoy swimming. It is quite different, I am used to more lifeguard swimming.”

Lynch has been on the swimming team since she was a freshman and during that time has seen the team grow by leaps and bounds. The senior joined the team after softball ended, a sport in which she was named All-State. Now that she has gone aquatic, she has been working to getting into shape.

“Swimming in an individual sport but in relays you have to rely on each other,” Lynch said. “You push yourself when you get into a meet and you have the adrenaline. It makes you want to work harder in practice.”

The work ethic in practice, as well as the success in meets, have been passed down to the younger members of the team.

“They have improved a lot,” Smith said. “At the beginning, there was not as much motivation. Now they want to stay up with the seniors.”

So far, so good for a Duncan team that will return to the pool on Tuesday when it hosts Lawton High, Lawton Eisenhower and Lawton MacArthur. At that time, the two seniors will look to continue the strong start the team has enjoyed so far.

“I just want to improve on our times and hopefully have the relay medley qualify for state,” Smith said.

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