Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} “It’s really cool that I can call myself a bulldog now,” said Head Coach Bill Layton. “I can’t even say how proud I am of [the team], and them being part of the program.” Coach Layton is hoping that more underclassmen will join the team to make them stronger and better altogether. He believes that swimming is one of the toughest sports in the school. This year, at the beginning of the season, practices started off slowly. Throughout the season, the practices got more and more rigorous. The team is now doing about 4,000 yards a day in the water. There are days when they swim about 5,000 yards, which is equal to about 200 laps. A few short weeks ago Sophomore and new team member Veronica Rooney stepped up to the plate and even went to a tournament with the team. “I can honestly say that I was so proud of her when we went to the tournament. She comes to practice every day, and is definitely progressing,” Coach Layton said. “I know I can do so much better, but being there for the first time made me happy,” Veronica Rooney said. She is dedicated to becoming a better swimmer to help out her team. The reason she joined the team was because one of her friends, long-time swimmer Lexie Potts, started to work with her. “I really look up to Lexie. She was always there for me no matter how bad I swam, and was always giving me something to look forward to. I also look up to the coach, who is always trying to encourage everyone to do their best,” she said. At the end of the season Coach Layton is going to have a swimming camp. He will ask people from Freedom to come to the camp so that he can teach them. Coach Layton wants to help the future members so that the team can get larger and stronger, he said.