By Benito Vila
In high school, it’s not any easier to be one of many any more than it is be one of a few. Standing out and fitting in are ways of being that many kids struggle with, in class, in the hallways and in athletics.
This fall, two local swimmers left the familiar culture of their own schools to compete for another. Rather than finding themselves lost or overwhelmed, both found enough support and friendship to already be looking ahead to next year.
The pair, Lydia Florio, of Pierson, and Annika Hochstedler, of Bridgehampton, swam for the East Hampton varsity team, having an experience their classmates enjoy in football, track and tennis. In those sports, the three school districts combine to offer students opportunities to hone their skills that would otherwise not be available.
The football program calls itself “Bonac”, throwing out the school distinctions, an approach would have also worked on the swim team. Lady Bonacker coach John McGeehan saw that the two “knew a lot of the girls from the Hurricanes [the local YMCA-hosted swim team]. Other than the logistics of getting to practice, there weren’t any pressures on them at all; they blended right in.”
Transportation commitments could have been an issue for both swimmers but Florio’s parents made rides available and the Bridgehampton school helped out Hochstedler and her family with after-school busses.
Having that support made competing easy for Florio, who said, “We all had a good time together. Swimming is a great way to make friendships because you’re sharing something in common with 17 other people.”
Hochstedler enjoyed the same experience explaining, “We fit together pretty well. I just started swimming for East Hampton last year and we had more girls this year. I’m still learning [how to train and compete] but everyone makes it easy.”
Florio raced last weekend and qualified for the county championship at Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood on Saturday. She will be representing Pierson, East Hampton and Bridgehampton in the 100-yard backstroke after coming in with a personal best last Friday (one minute, twenty and two-tenths seconds.)
Hochstedler, meanwhile, has developed a strong backstroke. Coach McGeehan likes the way both swimmers have worked to improve in their events and dismisses win and losses. “I tell them if you get their best time and you’re done, you’ve won.”
Coach McGeehan suggested the team’s best outing occurred in the season finale, a two-point loss at the East Hampton YMCA Recenter the Friday before Halloween. That outcome was determined by the last event, a 400-yard freestyle relay that kept Harborfields ahead.
Coach McGeehan is interested in seeing more “nice people that are good swimmers,” like Florio and Hochstedler join his team. “We had 17 girls which is up from 12 last year. I have to talk more with the [Hurricane] swim club and all the athletic directors to see if we can reach ‘a critical mass’ of about 20.”
Swimming Forever
Florio’s father, Val, is a former collegiate swimmer, having competed for Fordham. He still swims each day that he can and is thrilled that “We have a program that’s building out here at the high school level.”
The elder Florio still competes, holding a top-ten national ranking in the backstroke among men ages 45-to-49.
Sharing the pool at the Recenter with Florio many mornings is Albert Woods, a national short-course champion in the 50 and 100-yard breaststroke. Last month, at the 2009 World Masters Games in Sydney, Australia, Woods was first in the 50, 100, and 200-meter breaststroke events and joined three swimmers from the Florida Gold Coast Masters team to win gold in the 4-by-50-meter medley relay and silver in the 4-by-50-meter freestyle relay.
These are all remarkable achievements considering Woods competes in the ages 80-to-84 swim bracket.
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