Friday, May. 30, 2008

Dalcamo takes it to the next level

Not everyone thought Olathe Northwest sophomore Maddy Dalcamo would be able to follow up her outstanding freshman season with another jaw-dropping campaign.

Some figured she might be one of those young female sensations who fade away when their bodies become more suited for child-bearing and it gets harder to excel in athletics.

“I had a lot of coaches say, ‘Oh, she was a flash in the pan last year,’ “ Northwest coach Hank Krusen said. “And, ‘I’ve seen this happen before and as girls mature they’re not going to be there any more.’ “

Well, so much for that theory.

Dalcamo set Sunflower League records in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard medley relay this year, gaining All-America status in each event. Two weeks later she became the first state champion in team history, blowing away the competition in the 50 free and the 100 free in a performance that earns her All-Olathe swimming and diving Athlete of the Year honors.

Dalcamo said she understood why some opposing coaches might have doubted her, noting that she had seen other female athletes drop off as they got older. But she said she wasn’t about to let that happen to her, especially after narrowly missing out on state championships as a freshman.

“There was pressure, but mostly from myself,” Dalcamo said. “I didn’t want to have another repeat of last year.”

Dalcamo set out to prevent it with her usual mix of year-round workouts and careful nutrition. She switched swim clubs, joining a Lawrence Aquahawks squad that included a number of elite swimmers from this year’s second-place Free State team.

She rarely took so much as a week off from training and Krusen noted that she monitored her diet closely even when the team ate together at restaurants. All in an effort to make sure no one could beat her in the pool.

“Maddy knows what she wants and she usually goes out and gets it,” Krusen said. “That’s one very good trait of her’s. That’s not uncommon in elite athletes; a lot of them are that way. She’s the type where, if you wanted to play checkers with her, she probably wouldn’t go home until she beat you.”

Dalcamo has already accomplished a great deal, but in many ways, her biggest tests are just beginning.

Colleges will start courting her aggressively next year and she’s already started to visit campuses, including some on the West Coast where she has extended family. Though her times are extraordinary in the Midwest, they’re not quite as rare in the swimming meccas of California.

“I think I’m probably going to need to go a little bit faster if I want to get on some of the teams I’ve been looking at,” Dalcamo said.

There’s also the whole challenge of winning Northwest’s first team state championship in any sport.

The Ravens swimmers finished third this year and will have everyone back, giving them a legitimate chance to do it. There’s a sense of urgency about next season, too, since it will be the last year for Marley Suckow, Cami Hansberry and Paige Morris.

“They’ll be hard to replace,” Dalcamo said.

So there’s still plenty driving Dalcamo. Those coaches who still think she’s going to lose her hunger and start dropping off should take note.

“After the state meet she and I talked a little bit,” Krusen said. “I said to her, ‘Next year, I think we ought to think about that state record.’ And she said, ‘Those state records.’ “

2008 All-Olathe girls swimming and diving team

*Maddy Dalcamo, so., ONW — Dalcamo had a season for the ages. She won state titles in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle and finished All-America in those events and on the 200-yard medley relay. *Olathe swimming and diving Athlete of the Year

Michelle Eggers, sr., OE — After dominating distance events for years, Eggers showed she could also excel in the backstroke, briefly setting a school record at state. She made the All-Sunflower League second team, narrowly missing the cut for the first team.

Cami Hansberry, jr., ONW — Hansberry was on the medley relay squad that set a new league record and earned All-America status. She was also on Northwest’s second-place 400-yard freestyle relay team at state.

Morgan Lang, jr., OE — Lang was named honorable mention All-Sunflower after finishing ninth in the 50 free and fifth in the 100 free at league. She was also on a fourth and a fifth-place relay at that meet.

Natalie Morris, fr., ONW — Morris burst on the varsity scene and joined Dalcamo on the all-state first team. She finished fourth in the 200-yard individual medley and fifth in the butterfly individually and was also on the All-America medley relay.

Paige Morris, jr., ONW — Paige Morris joined her younger sister, Natalie, as well as Dalcamo and Hansberry to form the 400 free relay squad that took second at state and earned an All-America consideration time. She also placed 10th in the 200 free and eighth in the 500 free at state.

Cora Powers, jr., OS — Powers took home her third straight Sunflower League breaststroke title and also finished second in the backstroke at the league meet on her way to first-team All-Sunflower honors.

Alyson Ramsey, jr., OS — There’s no doubt about it, Ramsey was by far Olathe’s top diver this year. She broke the 400-point barrier in a meet for the first time in her career and finished second at state to Shawnee Mission East junior Logan Kline.

Marley Suckow, jr., ONW — Suckow was on the All-America medley relay squad that set a new Sunflower League record. She was second team all-league and also finished fifth in the breaststroke and 13th in the 200 IM at state.

Brianna Winkler, jr. OE — Winkler, an honorable mention All-Sunflower selection, broke the Hawks’ backstroke record at state one day after Eggers set it. She finished 10th in the 50 free and seventh in the backstroke at state.