Post by slt on Sept 25, 2009 6:45:23 GMT -5
Horne family cheers for two daughters at Metea, Waubonsie
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/sports/1789049,6_2_NA25_SWIM_S1-090925.article
September 25, 2009
By NEIL SHALIN For The Sun
Julianne and Jenny Horne live in the same house and they always swam on the same club and summer swimming teams, so, naturally they were looking forward to being high school teammates.
While Julianne, 16, is a junior on the Waubonsie Valley varsity, Jenny, 14, is a freshman at the new Metea Valley High School, which opened this fall with only freshman and sophomore classes.
"It was a little disappointing at first," Jenny said. "We're really close and it would be fun to swim with my sister all the time. But, I like this experience. We're starting the traditions at Metea Valley. We're even designed our own apparel. It's unique and fun to be part of that."
It's not as if the sisters never see each other at swimming.
Since the Metea Valley pool isn't expected to be ready for use until early next year, the Warriors have been sharing their facilities with the upstart Mustangs since preseason training began. Though once school started they have been practicing on different practice schedules, during preseason they were often in the water at the same time.
And, the teams already competed against each other at recent invites at Neuqua Valley and West Chicago.
Though they have different specialties -- Julianne competes primarily in the backstroke and butterfly and Jenny swims the breaststroke and individual medley -- at Neuqua Valley they did find themselves on the blocks together on the third leg of the 400 free relay, separated only by one lane.
"She started a little ahead of me and I beat her by about a second," Julianne said. "At this point, I'm a better freestyler."
While both are key players on their respective high school teams, Julianne had to work her way up in an established Waubonsie program that finished fourth at state last year, while Jenny, due to her outstanding record as an age-group swimmer, moved in immediately as one of Metea Valley's key competitors.
Julianne, because she's two years older, is a little further along, and after missing state qualification by only a second last year, expects to get there this time around.
"Julianne is doing a really good job," Waubonsie Valley coach Katie Peterson said. "She's regularly swimming lifetime bests and she's close to making it in the backstroke and going fast in the fly as well."
Jenny, though she hopes to make state this year, still has a way to go to make her state cuts.
"Jenny is one of the stronger freshmen in the area," Metea Valley coach Lenny DePasquale said. "She's already a team-leader, an important member of our relays, and she has a chance to make it in the backstroke, the IM or a freestyle event. But, if she doesn't get there this year, I know she'll do the work in the offseason to make it next year."
"Jenny has more endurance than me," Julianne said. "And she's always trained harder. I swim stronger at meets than I do at practice."
The girls' mother, Janine Horne, is pleased that both daughters are successful and having a great high school swimming experience, but she is getting a little weary from driving them to different practices at different times throughout the day.
On some days, they're both at Waubonsie at different times, and other days both spend the mornings at their own schools for dry-land training.
"There has to come a time when I'll drop one daughter off at the wrong place or at the wrong time," Janine said.
But, there's relief in sight for Mrs. Horne's busy schedule because 16-year-old Julianne will get her driver's license in early October.
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/sports/1789049,6_2_NA25_SWIM_S1-090925.article
September 25, 2009
By NEIL SHALIN For The Sun
Julianne and Jenny Horne live in the same house and they always swam on the same club and summer swimming teams, so, naturally they were looking forward to being high school teammates.
While Julianne, 16, is a junior on the Waubonsie Valley varsity, Jenny, 14, is a freshman at the new Metea Valley High School, which opened this fall with only freshman and sophomore classes.
"It was a little disappointing at first," Jenny said. "We're really close and it would be fun to swim with my sister all the time. But, I like this experience. We're starting the traditions at Metea Valley. We're even designed our own apparel. It's unique and fun to be part of that."
It's not as if the sisters never see each other at swimming.
Since the Metea Valley pool isn't expected to be ready for use until early next year, the Warriors have been sharing their facilities with the upstart Mustangs since preseason training began. Though once school started they have been practicing on different practice schedules, during preseason they were often in the water at the same time.
And, the teams already competed against each other at recent invites at Neuqua Valley and West Chicago.
Though they have different specialties -- Julianne competes primarily in the backstroke and butterfly and Jenny swims the breaststroke and individual medley -- at Neuqua Valley they did find themselves on the blocks together on the third leg of the 400 free relay, separated only by one lane.
"She started a little ahead of me and I beat her by about a second," Julianne said. "At this point, I'm a better freestyler."
While both are key players on their respective high school teams, Julianne had to work her way up in an established Waubonsie program that finished fourth at state last year, while Jenny, due to her outstanding record as an age-group swimmer, moved in immediately as one of Metea Valley's key competitors.
Julianne, because she's two years older, is a little further along, and after missing state qualification by only a second last year, expects to get there this time around.
"Julianne is doing a really good job," Waubonsie Valley coach Katie Peterson said. "She's regularly swimming lifetime bests and she's close to making it in the backstroke and going fast in the fly as well."
Jenny, though she hopes to make state this year, still has a way to go to make her state cuts.
"Jenny is one of the stronger freshmen in the area," Metea Valley coach Lenny DePasquale said. "She's already a team-leader, an important member of our relays, and she has a chance to make it in the backstroke, the IM or a freestyle event. But, if she doesn't get there this year, I know she'll do the work in the offseason to make it next year."
"Jenny has more endurance than me," Julianne said. "And she's always trained harder. I swim stronger at meets than I do at practice."
The girls' mother, Janine Horne, is pleased that both daughters are successful and having a great high school swimming experience, but she is getting a little weary from driving them to different practices at different times throughout the day.
On some days, they're both at Waubonsie at different times, and other days both spend the mornings at their own schools for dry-land training.
"There has to come a time when I'll drop one daughter off at the wrong place or at the wrong time," Janine said.
But, there's relief in sight for Mrs. Horne's busy schedule because 16-year-old Julianne will get her driver's license in early October.