Andy Scheidler
sports@thefranklinpress.com
Christmas songs echoed inside the pool as swimmers went back and forth completing laps.
The songs weren’t coming from a speaker, but from members of Franklin’s swim team who got into the holiday spirit during practice last week. They sang classics such as “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Jingle Bells” during a segment using floats that gives their arms and shoulders a break, but works their legs (and lungs).
“Since it’s almost Christmas break, we like to sing Christmas carols,” junior Olivia Stahl said. “We sang ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’ one time and we weren’t allowed to stop until we finished the song.”
This is one example of many illustrating how the Panthers are a tight knit group this year. With only 12 boys and 12 girls, the teams are much smaller than usual.
In spite of the smaller numbers, the Panthers have managed to exceed their own expectations.
“Quality over quantity,” Stahl said.
The girls have won four out of five meets, while the boys have won three out of five. The worst each team has finished is second.
“We’re doing really good,” junior Michael Frazier said, “especially for our size.”
“I think we’re doing really well,” junior Teri Martin said. “We don’t have any seniors, so that’s what’s lacking. Usually we have about 16 on our team.”
Neither the boys nor the girls have any seniors, which is certainly rare and unusual.
Frazier is the only junior for the boys, making him the lone upperclassman. He’s also the boys’ solo team captain.
Stahl, Martin, Taylor Harrell and Deaven Lombard are the four juniors who are captains for the girls.
“We’re so used to having the older seniors to look up to,” Stahl said, “but now it’s us, so that’s kind of weird.”
Lauryn Basham is also a junior. She’s splitting time between indoor track and swimming.
The Panthers aren’t quite sure why no seniors are on the swim team. It might simply be a matter of that class not having as many students interested in athletics, because very few seniors are playing other winter sports.
The wrestling team is devoid of any seniors; the same goes for girls indoor track. Boys basketball has the most seniors with four.
It’s something out of the Panthers’ hands, and they’re staying focused on what they can control.
“Everyone’s working hard during practices,” Harrell said. “We’re all getting along, so that’s good.”
The team participated in a bonding trip before its first meet in November. The swimmers, along with coaches Dwain and Dina Picou, spent a weekend at Tellico Trout Farm.
They played games, hiked and spent quality time together thanks to one factor in particular.
“We didn’t have our phones; coach took them away,” Lombard said. “It made us really draw in on each other.”
“We actually had to talk to each other for once,” Martin said.
The Panthers agreed it was a really fun weekend and it’s something they hope to continue in future seasons.
“Everyone got to be together for a whole weekend and it was really cool,” Stahl said. “It was really good for us.”
Franklin will continue practicing during the holidays, with its next meet slated for Jan. 7. The Panthers will host a meet Jan. 11, which will be their final tune-up before the Mountain Six Conference championship.
Harrell said she’s most looking forward to the conference meet.
“Because that’s when the team comes together and we’re more focused on trying to get all of our times to go to regionals,” she said.
All three boys relay teams have turned in automatic qualifying times for the 1-A/2-A West Regional. The girls have qualified in the medley and are seeking to earn automatic spots in the freestyle relays.
“I really want my girls’ relay to make it to regionals in the 200 freestyle,” said Stahl, who swims the event with Callie Roper, Claire Holland and Lombard. “We’re well under the consideration time; we just need to cut a little more time off.”
Regional is always a fun time, if not for competing against some of the best swimmers and divers around, but also for another reason: it’s when the girls help the guys shave their legs.
Frazier said it feels so good – not so much the shaving part, but afterward.
“Whenever you get into the sheets,” he said, “and it feels good in the pool.”
Martin and Lombard joked about how many razors it takes in the hair removal process, with the idea being it should help the guys swim faster.
“It took me like three razors to shave (Frazier’s) last year,” Lombard said. “We all go to one hotel room, one bathroom, and all the guys are in there shaving their legs. It’s a mess.”
One thing that’s certainly not a mess is the organization of the team.
Dwain Picou is in his 16th year coaching swimming at FHS, while his wife is in her 17th year.
They’ve raved frequently about how much fun and how great the swimmers are to coach this season.
While they would like to have much more than a dozen swimmers on the teams, they’re thrilled with everyone’s attitudes and work ethics.