Marisa GallelliOn your marks! Get set! Go! The head coach of the swim team Mike Kernicky gets his swimmers in gear at Monday’s practice. As the swimmers climb out of the pool, Kernicky offers words of encouragement and advice to his team from his blue chair seated at the deep end of the pool.
Kernicky has been a swim team coach on and off for the past 25 years. Kernicky started as a coach for Notre Dame Academy’s swim team. It just happens to be that Notre Dame Academy practices at Cabrini College’s Dixon Center.
It was because of these practices Kernicky was offered the job as head coach for Cabrini’s swim team. Kernicky said, “Cabrini liked what I was doing and offered me a job.”
This year is the first official year as a varsity sport for the swim team. Last year the swim team was considered a club. Now those days are in the past. This year Cabrini competed in several swim meets through out the season. Kernicky said, “This year we went 3-3, which isn’t bad for the team’s first year.”
When the team started there were 12 swimmers but now at the close of the season there are only eight swimmers. Kernicky said this year senior Gina Treml and freshman Kristen Longa were great assets to the team. Kernicky said, “I’m sad to see Gina go since she is a senior this year.”
At Monday’s practice the swim team was preparing for a championship being held in Grove City. The swim team will be competing against 14 to 15 different teams over a period of three days.
Kernicky said that this championship should be easier than a regular meet because the swimmers will be swimming at a slower pace then usual. Besides being a bit slower, each heat will not be as long as a regular meet, either.
The swim team will end after the Grove City championship. The most important thing Kernicky is looking for next season is more swimmers. The ideal team for Kernicky would be to have about 17 swimmers. Kernicky said, “As the school gets bigger, I am hoping for more swimmers.”
Anyone interested in joining the swim team is encouraged to contact Kernicky by going through the athletic office in the Dixon Center.
Posted to the web by Marisa Gallelli
