ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, July 27, 1996 TAG: 9607290047
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
THE CURRENT WAVE and the next wave of local talent meet in the pool where golden dreams begin.
Maybe it's the timing and maybe it's the television coverage.
For one swimmer in the Roanoke Valley Aquatic Association Duane Whitenack City-County meet, the dream is to make the U.S. Olympic team in the year 2000. For another, the Olympic dream ended this summer at the trials for the Games now being held in Atlanta.
Bernetta McGuire, a 12-year-old swimmer for Our Lady of Nazareth, won three events and set one record Friday. For the past three years her goal has been to make the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
Daniel Phillips, a native of Ypsilanti, Mich., who just completed his collegiate swimming career at South Carolina, took his fling at making this year's Olympic team in the 200-meter freestyle. He finished 16th, 10 places from landing a spot on the U.S. team. With a finish in the top six, he might have participated on a relay team if not in the individual races.
McGuire joined a summer league at the age of 8, caught the fever of competitive swimming and is one of a number of young Roanoke athletes who do well in the sport. The progress has come quickly; she dominated her age group despite turning 12 only a week ago.
``The hard work kind of paid off for me,'' said McGuire, who will be a seventh-grader at Roanoke Catholic in the fall. ``When I was in third grade, we'd go to the Gator Center. Coach Doug Fonder saw me and got me to join the Gators.''
McGuire practices swimming a couple of hours a day, yet she also plays soccer and basketball. She is eager to take a shot at the next Olympics despite her youth.
``I watched the Olympics this week and it's my dream,'' she said. ``I see myself on television. That's the ultimate dream. I started thinking about this when I was 9 years old.''
If the Olympics don't work out for McGuire, there are other goals.
``At the very least, I'd like to get a college scholarship,'' she said.
McGuire has spoken with 1988 Olympic star Matt Biondi. ``I told him my dream,'' she said. ``He just said to believe in yourself and train hard. I don't have trouble believing in myself.''
Phillips, 22, landed in Roanoke this year and coaches the Carter Center Aquatic Marlins in Southwest Roanoke County. He also coached the Olympic Park team in the RVAA meet and set three meet records in the men's 19-24 age group.
While making the U.S. Olympic team in four years is a possibility, Phillips realizes that because of his age, this might have been his final shot.
``I'm not counting anything out,'' he said. ``But it's a tough sport to train for. I don't want to do something half-hearted. If you have goals, you have to do it [train] seriously.''
Phillips has been swimming for 17 years, meaning he started at a younger age than McGuire.
``After 17 years, I don't know if I'm ready to get back into it,'' he said. ``At the moment, I'm not quite ready. It's tough to make the U.S. Olympic team, tougher than any other country. My time was good enough to have qualified for other teams.''
Phillips' coaching fulfills another dream. ``I've enjoyed the sport so much, that I want to give something back to it,'' he said.
Louis Tudor, swimming in the 40-and-older class, was the only other swimmer besides Phillips to set more than one record as he recorded marks in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard individual medley.
Andy Bauman, who as a 9-10 boys' swimmer last year set records in five events, picked up another mark in the 50-yard backstroke in his first year swimming in the 11-12 division.
As well as Phillips and McGuire did, their teams were not a factor in the standings as Roanoke Country Club, Elks Club, Castle Rock and Blacksburg led the way.
LENGTH: Medium: 79 linesby CNB