GLENN JORDAN Staff Writer
Portland Press Herald (Maine)
12-10-2003
They're definitely ready to make waves ; The Cheverus girls' swim team is growing in numbers and stature in just its third year.
Byline: GLENN JORDAN Staff Writer
Edition: FINAL
Section: Sports
Column: High School Swimming Preview
Memo: 'The first year was really fun because everything was new. But this year everyone knows to look out for Cheverus girls. ...' Mary Elizabeth Gervais
They are known as the Lady Stags, an obvious oxymoron, which may explain why they have embellished their nickname with a symbol of strength and added a tough-sounding grunt.
'Lady Stags of Steel, UNHHHH!'
Coming soon to a swimming pool near you.
Cheverus High School, for eight decades an all-boys private school in Portland, has entered its fourth year of coeducation. None of the current 496 students, including 150 girls, experienced the one-gender atmosphere.
The school offers 13 sports for girls, but no team of girls from Cheverus has sported a winning record, much less won a state title.
Yet.
'That's in the back of our minds, definitely,' said junior Meaghan Morris. 'We have high goals, high standards.'
Morris is one of the Original Six, members of the first Cheverus girls' swim team, now in its third season of competition.
Classmates Katie Cloutier, Mary Elizabeth Gervais, Jill Horan and Sierra Thibeault and senior Meghan McCrillis now form the core of a 14-member squad that, bolstered by three transfers and four freshmen, finally can fill every event, including three relays.
At the state championships, a winning relay counts 32 points, but even a fifth-place finish is good for 20. With only a handful of qualifiers and two relays, Cheverus finished fourth in Class A in 2002 and fifth of 23 schools last February.
'Obviously, this is the strongest Cheverus girls' team ever,' said Coach Kevin Haley, who shares duties with Stephanie Gautreau. 'They should do fairly well. But (two-time defending champion) Cape Elizabeth is still the favorite. The Bangor girls are dynamite as well. And now that (Class B champion) Scarborough has moved up to Class A, they'll make things interesting. Also, the Deering girls are very strong.'
Haley spoke beside the pool at the Portland YMCA, where toddlers splashed with floating barbells following a Cheverus workout. Senior Allie Theriault strolled by, wearing a Cape Elizabeth lacrosse T- shirt.
Theriault and Emilie Youmans transferred to Cheverus this fall, as did sophomore Suzanne Agro from Gray-New Gloucester. Last February, Youmans was second in the backstroke, third in the 100- yard freestyle and swam on two winning relays at the Class A meet, and Agro scored in two events at the Class B meet.
Among returning swimmers, Horan was runner-up in the 50 and 100 free, Morris was fourth in the butterfly and fifth in the individual medley, and McCrillis was third in the breast stroke and seventh in the IM.
'It's a really versatile group of girls,' said Gautreau. 'They're extremely hard-working and dedicated and there's a positive attitude from A to Z.
'They understand they won't be sneaking up on any teams this year, and that's fine with them.'
'The first year was really fun because everything was new,' said Gervais, nursing an injured ankle. 'But this year everyone knows to look out for Cheverus girls. People know that we're good and they've got to watch out for us.'
McCrillis, a co-captain and one of two seniors, is excited about the season, which for Cheverus begins today against South Portland. She said one of the reasons the team is so close is the support the girls receive from the Cheverus boys, who have a long tradition of swimming success.
'Since we swim with the boys, it's a really intermingled team,' McCrillis said. 'We mix the lanes up so it's very inclusive.'
McCrillis and Morris played up the camaraderie angle while recruiting new swimmers to the team.
'We explain to them what it's like to be a Lady Stag,' said Morris, whose father teaches math at Cheverus. 'We have our cheers. They see the stands packed with purple and gold. . . . And (Haley and Gautreau) are great. They're so intense, but so caring for the team.'
Before each meet, the girls gather to prepare psychologically. They identify themselves loudly and proudly as the Lady Stags of Steel, complete with grunt.
'This year we're so pumped,' Morris said. 'The girls are ready to roll.'
Staff Writer Glenn Jordan can be contacted at 791-6425 or at:
gjordan@pressherald.com
Illustrations/Photos:
Caption: Staff photo by Jill Brady: Jill Horan is one of five
juniors who have been with the Cheverus girls' swim team since it
began three years ago. She was runner-up in the 50 and 100 freestyle
events at last season's state Class A meet. Staff photo by Jill
Brady: Clockwise from left, Katie Cloutier, Meaghan Morris, Jill
Horan, Meghan McCrillis and Sierra Thibeault, along with injured
Mary Elizabeth Gervais, have been with the Cheverus girls' swim team
since its inception.
Copyright 2003 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
Portland Press Herald (Maine)
12-10-2003
They're definitely ready to make waves ; The Cheverus girls' swim team is growing in numbers and stature in just its third year.
Byline: GLENN JORDAN Staff Writer
Edition: FINAL
Section: Sports
Column: High School Swimming Preview
Memo: 'The first year was really fun because everything was new. But this year everyone knows to look out for Cheverus girls. ...' Mary Elizabeth Gervais
They are known as the Lady Stags, an obvious oxymoron, which may explain why they have embellished their nickname with a symbol of strength and added a tough-sounding grunt.
'Lady Stags of Steel, UNHHHH!'
Coming soon to a swimming pool near you.
Cheverus High School, for eight decades an all-boys private school in Portland, has entered its fourth year of coeducation. None of the current 496 students, including 150 girls, experienced the one-gender atmosphere.
The school offers 13 sports for girls, but no team of girls from Cheverus has sported a winning record, much less won a state title.
Yet.
'That's in the back of our minds, definitely,' said junior Meaghan Morris. 'We have high goals, high standards.'
Morris is one of the Original Six, members of the first Cheverus girls' swim team, now in its third season of competition.
Classmates Katie Cloutier, Mary Elizabeth Gervais, Jill Horan and Sierra Thibeault and senior Meghan McCrillis now form the core of a 14-member squad that, bolstered by three transfers and four freshmen, finally can fill every event, including three relays.
At the state championships, a winning relay counts 32 points, but even a fifth-place finish is good for 20. With only a handful of qualifiers and two relays, Cheverus finished fourth in Class A in 2002 and fifth of 23 schools last February.
'Obviously, this is the strongest Cheverus girls' team ever,' said Coach Kevin Haley, who shares duties with Stephanie Gautreau. 'They should do fairly well. But (two-time defending champion) Cape Elizabeth is still the favorite. The Bangor girls are dynamite as well. And now that (Class B champion) Scarborough has moved up to Class A, they'll make things interesting. Also, the Deering girls are very strong.'
Haley spoke beside the pool at the Portland YMCA, where toddlers splashed with floating barbells following a Cheverus workout. Senior Allie Theriault strolled by, wearing a Cape Elizabeth lacrosse T- shirt.
Theriault and Emilie Youmans transferred to Cheverus this fall, as did sophomore Suzanne Agro from Gray-New Gloucester. Last February, Youmans was second in the backstroke, third in the 100- yard freestyle and swam on two winning relays at the Class A meet, and Agro scored in two events at the Class B meet.
Among returning swimmers, Horan was runner-up in the 50 and 100 free, Morris was fourth in the butterfly and fifth in the individual medley, and McCrillis was third in the breast stroke and seventh in the IM.
'It's a really versatile group of girls,' said Gautreau. 'They're extremely hard-working and dedicated and there's a positive attitude from A to Z.
'They understand they won't be sneaking up on any teams this year, and that's fine with them.'
'The first year was really fun because everything was new,' said Gervais, nursing an injured ankle. 'But this year everyone knows to look out for Cheverus girls. People know that we're good and they've got to watch out for us.'
McCrillis, a co-captain and one of two seniors, is excited about the season, which for Cheverus begins today against South Portland. She said one of the reasons the team is so close is the support the girls receive from the Cheverus boys, who have a long tradition of swimming success.
'Since we swim with the boys, it's a really intermingled team,' McCrillis said. 'We mix the lanes up so it's very inclusive.'
McCrillis and Morris played up the camaraderie angle while recruiting new swimmers to the team.
'We explain to them what it's like to be a Lady Stag,' said Morris, whose father teaches math at Cheverus. 'We have our cheers. They see the stands packed with purple and gold. . . . And (Haley and Gautreau) are great. They're so intense, but so caring for the team.'
Before each meet, the girls gather to prepare psychologically. They identify themselves loudly and proudly as the Lady Stags of Steel, complete with grunt.
'This year we're so pumped,' Morris said. 'The girls are ready to roll.'
Staff Writer Glenn Jordan can be contacted at 791-6425 or at:
gjordan@pressherald.com
Illustrations/Photos:
Caption: Staff photo by Jill Brady: Jill Horan is one of five
juniors who have been with the Cheverus girls' swim team since it
began three years ago. She was runner-up in the 50 and 100 freestyle
events at last season's state Class A meet. Staff photo by Jill
Brady: Clockwise from left, Katie Cloutier, Meaghan Morris, Jill
Horan, Meghan McCrillis and Sierra Thibeault, along with injured
Mary Elizabeth Gervais, have been with the Cheverus girls' swim team
since its inception.
Copyright 2003 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
