CHS swim team dives into season with new coach
More stories from Rowan Young
A head coaching change for the Carlisle High School swim team could lead to continued success for the swimmers. Ann Berg has taken the place of Jason Griffith as the head coach for the Thundering Herd swim team.
Coach Berg started coaching in 1996 in North Carolina and has coached off and on since then. Recently she has come from Germany, where she coached two swim teams.
Berg says that the boy and the girl’s team is smaller than last year but there are several returning athletes who have potential for post-season qualifications. Some of these athletes include Noah Chirico, Daniel Madio and Max Fiorentino for the guys and Elizabeth Young, Amanda Shoemaker, Caroline Hoffman, Sarah Thompson, Ellie Tate, and Caitlyn Padgett for the girls. Some freshmen that are standing out are Maddison Young, Grace Lippert, and CJ Berg.
Regarding the upcoming season Berg said, “After 7 weeks of preparation, I am very much looking forward to seeing our swimmers and divers in action.”
Hershey, CV, and State College are going to put up some tough competition for the Thundering Herd, but Berg isn’t worried.
“By swimming against fast teams, it only makes you faster,” said Berg. “There will be many tough races, and we plan to win our share.”
Berg would like to thank Griffith for helping her transition into the coaching position. She says, “It has been an easy transition because Mr. Griffith has provided me with a large amount of historical knowledge and has made connections to many helpful people in the Carlisle community.”
Going into the final meet of the last season, both teams were 7-7. In the end, both teams won the meet and ended the season with an 8-7 record.
Griffith reflected on the last meet of the season, saying, “When they threw me in the pool at the end of the meet (a swimming tradition), I knew we had earned it as a team. Everyone contributed.”
Griffith is sad to leave the team and leaves with this final thought: “I was happy to have been able to serve a team that I love, and I wish nothing but the best for all the swimmers and for Coach Berg. I look forward to seeing everyone continue to improve. As always, Go Herd!”
The swim team’s first home meet is at the Kline Center at Dickinson College on Thursday, December 11 at 7 pm.
Want to help the Herd? Please consider supporting the Periscope program. Your donation will support the student journalists of CHS and allow us to purchase equipment, send students to workshops/camps, and cover our annual website hosting costs.
Rowan Young is in her third year as a member of the Periscope staff. She will be serving as the Editor-in-Chief on staff this year! In her free time...
Erin Newcomer • Feb 16, 2015 at 8:47 pm
This was my first year ever swimming and I couldn’t imagine a better coach. She was always attentive and did her best to shape all of us into better athletes. She made swimming more enjoyable and would never let you sell yourself short. The school made a good decision in having her take over coaching the swim team.
Kimberly Nickle • Jan 20, 2015 at 1:48 pm
A coaching change can be difficult for anyone but the new swimming coach seems like a good fit for Carlisle. She is experienced and really seems to know what she has envisioned for the team. The swimmers seem to like her for he most part, which is essential for any team. As long as the new swim coach and the returning swimmers get along and maintain good relationships, the season should be successful for all involved.
Gary Pariseau • Jan 20, 2015 at 1:32 pm
Man, I really wish coach Griffith was still out there. what a great man
Sean Dailey • Jan 20, 2015 at 8:50 am
As a third year member of the season, I can say that the transition from Coach Griff to Coach Berg was difficult. Coach Berg has a completely different training schedule than Coach Griff had, but I can definitely say that it has been paying off. The morning practices have been preventing injury, and the intense swim workouts have been helping my times get lower and lower. This is the same with everyone on the team. Good job swim team!
Sarah French • Dec 11, 2014 at 1:25 pm
I am part of the swim team and personally adore coach Burg. She has tried many different tasks this year to try and make the Thundering Herd a faster team as a whole. Coach has made morning practices Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. These practices are made for strength training on our core, legs, and arms. We do weight training to strengthen our muscles and cardio to work on our speed. I think our swim team will be amazing this year! Our team is always looking for ways to bond 🙂