DATE: Sunday, July 27, 1997                 TAG: 9707260174

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 14   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY PHYLLIS SPEIDELL 

        STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   77 lines

NANSEMOND SHARKS SWIM TEAM COMPILES ENVIABLE RECORD THE 75 SWIMMERS, AGES 5 TO 18, HAVE NOT BEEN DEFEATED IN 2 YEARS AND DON'T TAKE THEMSELVES THAT SERIOUSLY.

After two consecutive undefeated seasons the Nansemond Sharks could sit back and congratulate themselves on a job well done, but the team's 75 young swimmers, ages 5 to 18, just don't take themselves that seriously.

Make no mistake, these kids are competitors.

They like to win and they practice hard, but they also have a good time just being together.

``This team is more for fun rather than hard core and we're not pressured to win,'' Katie Kenefal, the Shark's 16-year-old assistant coach, said. ``If we win, we win; if not, we party anyway.''

``We are kind of a rag tag team because we don't have that many people that swim competitively year round like other teams do,'' Jason Wooley added.

Jason, who has been swimming for the Sharks since he was 7, recently celebrated his 18th birthday swimming in the Western Tidewater Swimming Association all star meet held at the Nansemond Swim Club in Eclipse-Crittenden, the home of the Sharks.

For Jason it was like a day long birthday party with extended family.

Most of the Sharks live in Crittenden, Eclipse, or one of the nearby sections of Suffolk and ride their bikes to practice with brothers, sisters, and friends who are also on the team.

Growing up with the team, Jason remembers when he was one of the little guys, looking up to the older swimmers, one of whom, Eric Corron, 22, has coached the Sharks for the last two seasons.

Back in the days when Corron was competing the team was lucky to field 30 swimmers.

Taking over as coach last season, Corron decided to make the competitive swim experience as enjoyable as possible. ``There is just no way to make a practice fun, but I try not to make them hard practices,'' he said.

Corron credits hard work and numbers for his team's success. ``You need some good swimmers, but you also need depth because holes in your score sheets mean points you have given away,'' he said.

``As long as your team is a winner and you have fun the more kids you will have; stop winning or stop having fun and you lose numbers,'' he added.

According to Corron the Sharks have won their last 17 regular season meets. He and the older Sharks agree that the real secret of the Sharks' record is the team's younger swimmers.

``The little kids are so awesome,'' he said. ``They come to practice, do what I say, and take first or second in every event.''

``Our little kids are what carry this team,'' Ellie Gray, 14, said. Ellie started swimming with the Sharks when she was 6. ``It feels weird but its fun to be one of the big kids now and having the little kids hang all over us,'' she said.

Amanda Linton, 7, can not remember a time when she did not swim and just finished her second year on the team. ``I like getting exercise and learning how to swim better,'' she said, adding with a grin, ``I win all the time because I swim fast.''

Jarred Baird, 9, also flashes a smile when he talks about how his swimming has improved over last year, his first year on the team. ``Then I got all fourths and fifths, but this year I'm getting firsts,'' he said.

Debbie Madden, mother of two Sharks and league representative for the team, knows her extra effort to support the Sharks is worthwhile.

``Although we like it this way there are not a lot of other things for the kids to do out here,'' she said.

``With the team we are getting the kids into an activity were they are exercising, socializing, competing, and still having fun.'' ILLUSTRATION: Coach Eric Corron

Katie Konefal, an assistant coach, chats with a friend before diving

in for a few laps.

Joy Whitten, a member of the Nansemond Sharks swim team, comes up

for air during a recent practice at the team's home pool in the

Crittenden/Eclipse area.

Staff photos by

MICHAEL KESTNER

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