Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 1, 1993 TAG: 9303310427
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-16 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By JOHN A. MONTGOMERY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
GATORS HAVE A STANDARD OF SUCCESS
It's 5 a.m. on a school day. Do you know where your children are?If they swim with the Gator seniors (ages 15-18), chances are you do. They're either at Gold's Gym lifting weights or at the Gator Aquatic Center swimming laps.
And later that evening they'll be back in the pool for another workout as part of the Gators' quest for excellence.
"There's no question that our program is demanding by athletic standards in Southwestern Virginia," Gator swim coach Doug Fonder said. "But it's not particularly demanding when you compare it to really good programs around the country."
National standards are Fonder's favorite yardstick, and he wants his swimmers to be the best, a commitment that requires sacrifice.
The Gators boast an impressive record. Recently they easily won the YMCA State Championship at the University of Virginia, for the fourth consecutive year. This year's margin of victory, however, was their largest to date.
In mid-March, a portion of the Gators competed in the Junior Olympics in Norfolk. "We did very well," Fonder said. "As a team, we finished sixth. But it's important to realize that we only took our 12-and-under swimmers. We wanted our older kids to stay here and train."
Eighteen Gators are leaving today for Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., for the Y nationals. "It's the largest national meet in the world," Fonder said. "There will be about 1,400 swimmers representing some 360 teams." The Gators have finished as high as second.
"This year, our goal is to finish in the top 10," the coach said.
Gators making the Florida trip are Brooke Adams, Carolyn Bucher, Kate Bucher, Miranda Deputy, Lauren Feldman, Brooke Fonder, Shannon Goff, Molly Henderson, Jenny Pugh, Sandra Ungerer, Emily Whichard, Adam Dansby, David Feldman, Brian Finucane, Brian Marsh, Matt McLeod, Jason Stanger and Robert Susil.
Laura Webb, David Parker and Ashley Neighbors are leaving today for the Eastern Zone Championships at the University of New York in Buffalo. (Tyler Gustafson qualified, but is not making the trip.) The Gator swim team, composed of 120 children, is divided into five age groups: 8 and under (Mighty Gators), 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, and 15-18. The Gators also have a satellite program in Harrisonburg that includes another 60 swimmers.
One of the brightest stars on this year's Roanoke team is Bucher, who has set three state records and a passel of team marks in the past month in the 11-12 girls' competition.
She also established a state record in the 50-yard breast stroke at Y state with a time of 31.81 seconds, .32 seconds better than the previous mark set six years ago. Two weeks later at the Junior Olympics, Bucher bettered her own record with a phenomenal 31.23.
"Carolyn is probably one of the three best swimmers in her age group in the country," Fonder said. Bucher trains with the seniors.
Fonder, who has coached swimming for the past 20 years, six in Roanoke, has helped develop numerous Olympic athletes, including four members of the 1992 USA squad.
In listing his top current performers, Fonder thought carefully and reeled off 24 individuals, including Bucher. He emphasized that his program does not strictly cater to all-stars. "Our motto is, `Be the best you can be.' It's just as important for a C-level swimmer to become a B as it is for a quad-A swimmer to qualify for nationals.
"We want them all to improve - in and out of the water."
A residual benefit of the Gator program for those who complete the senior program is the likelihood of a college scholarship. Several swimmers already have advanced to swimming programs from Stanford to the University of North Carolina - with most of their expenses paid.
Four members of the current Gator squad will earn scholarships. Robert Susil "has a multitude of offers," including one from Princeton, said Fonder.
Shannon Goff has won an appointment to the Air Force Academy. David Feldman will go to Boston University, and Jenny Pugh has narrowed her choices to Mary Washington and UNC-Wilmington.