THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 29, 1994 TAG: 9412280211
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE MICHAUX, SUN SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
TRAVEL TO VIRGINIA Beach, Richmond or Northern Virginia on any given day and you won't have any trouble finding a swim team practicing.
But head out to Franklin and chances are you will miss practice.
While most teams put in practices twice a day at least six days a week, the Franklin Y Swim Sharks are only able to practice three times a week for an hour and a half.
``We just don't have the time or facilities those other teams have,'' head coach Lee Moore said.
But that hasn't kept Franklin's swimmers from standing out at meets.
Three of the Sharks' swimmers, Erin Bergeron, Greg Eaton and Parker Whedon each qualified and competed in the Junior Olympics last spring.
``They are very focused,'' Moore said. ``They try so hard, and they want to do well.''
``We don't practice as much, but we still come out on top,'' Bergeron said. ``We want to win, and we eat right. We can't eat chocolate or sugary stuff, we eat a lot of pasta and carbohydrates, and I think that makes a difference.''
Moore has roughly 24 people at practice, but not all of them are there to compete.
``We have a large variety,'' Moore said. ``A lot of them are here because they like to swim but aren't sure they want to compete yet.
``We have two fun meets a year for the non-competitive kids.''
It was at one of the fun meets last year that Eaton, 9, got his first taste of competition and decided he liked it.
``Greg is very focused. He knows what he wants and goes out there and gets it,'' Moore said.
Bergeron, 13, began her athletic career as a gymnast at age 5. She toughed it out for nearly three years, before she decided it ``just wasn't fun anymore.''
With no interest in basketball or soccer, swimming was the only other choice.
But Bergeron body's composition remained more suited to gymnastics with her compact 5-0 frame.
``She will be the smallest one on the blocks, but she just outswims everyone,'' Moore said.
``Except when I swim breaststroke,'' Bergeron said. ``You have to have long legs to do that well.''
Regardless of the event, Bergeron isn't one to sit behind the blocks and wait for her heat.
``I really concentrate on how I am going to swim the event,'' Bergeron said. ``If I am swimming the 100 free I think about the first 25 and say I am only going to breathe once and then again on the second 25. . . I just really think about how I am going to do it. And if I don't get first I want to improve my time.''
That is all Moore ever asks of her swimmers.
``They aren't in the ribbons all of the time,'' Moore said. ``But they are always improving and improving on their own personal best.
``If the kids don't DQ and get a better time, then I think that is a good meet.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by MICHAEL KESTNER
Swimmer Erin Bergeron practices at the Franklin YMCA. She's small,
``but she just outswims everyone,'' coach Lee Moore said.
Parker Whedon practices kicking as the Franklin Y Swim Sharks
practice. At the Junior Olympics, Whedon competed in the 200-meter
freestroke, the 50- and 100-meter freestroke, and the 50-meter
backstroke.
by CNB