The Bemidji High boys swim team was honored Monday night at its annual Award Night ceremony at the Vo-Tech cafeteria.
Special guests were the 16 letter winners who led the team this season.
Coach Woody Leindecker, completing his third season at the helm, highlighted the year pointing to the 7-2 dual meet finish and retaining the invitational titles at Bemidji and Detroit Lakes.
He also pointed to an expanded quad of 28 swimmers, the most in a number of years, pointing to a continuing improvement in coming seasons. He cited Bemidji's improving another place at the section and to continuing to shrink its times throughout the year.
Assistant Greg Bernard also pointed out the continuing improvement stressing that the team went 2-7 in dual meets two years ago to reverse those numbers this winter.
ADVERTISEMENT
He extended his special thanks to the outgoing seniors who stuck it out with the program through its leanest years and saw their efforts rewarded.
Diving Coach A.J. Abate inherited a team had had no divers last year and built a solid group up to six, taking three to the section meet.
While four are seniors, he said their influence should attract more divers next year.
Leindecker presented the annual awards
A state tournament certificate was presented to Mike Arnold who was the lone Bemidji representative at the state meet this year.
All-Section awards to top eight finishers went to Arnold, Nick Lee, Tucker Asper, Matt Wilcox, Abe Cummings, Blake Collison and Jared Vanasse.
Five of those seven will return in 2008.
Arnold was named the team's Most Valuable Swimmer.
ADVERTISEMENT
Wilcox earned the Most Improved Swimmer award
Collison drew the Coaches Award for his dedication and leadership
The eight seniors extended their farewells encouraging the returning swimmers to spend as much off season time in the pool as possible with the NASA programs to heighten their improvement for next year.
Collison presented blankets, purchased by the Swim Booster Club for the eight seniors.
He also presented appreciation gifts to the three coaches for their efforts through the year.
Lee was returned as 2008 Captain to be joined by Cummings and Greg Moriarty.
Leindecker distributed revised sets of section qualifying standards for next year to all the returning swimmers and again urged them to work during the off season.
Earning their swim letters were:
ADVERTISEMENT
SENIORS: Mike Arnold, B lake Collison, Josh Faecke, Jake Brown, Tristan Dockendorf, John Walberg, Evan Parrott an Adam Freude
JUNIORS; Abe Cummings, and Greg Moriarty
SOPHOMORES: Nick Lee, Jared Vanasse and Tucker Asper,
FRESHMEN: Paul Voss, Matt Wilcox and Derek Buckanaga
Lee led the team with 401.5 points followed by Cummings 391.5, Vanasse 385.5, Faecke 373.5, Arnold 364, Wilcox 324, Asper 318, Collison 310, Voss 252 and Moriarty 143.5.
The next scheduled winter banquet will be the girls' hockey fete, March 19 at the 1st Lutheran Church.
Tickets must be purchased in advance. None will be sold at the door.
Contact coach Matt Menne or Tom Kaplan to reserve tickets.
