PREP SWIMMING

She's a Singular Sensation

By JOHN C. COTEY, High Schools Columnist
Published September 13, 2007

LAND O'LAKES - She could have taken the easy way out, seeing as her school didn't have a swim team and she was a swimmer.

The paperwork was ready to go. She could have put the stamp on that manila envelope. Walked it out to the mailbox. Lifted the red flag.

She could have transferred. To a school, mind you, with a reputation for producing great swimmers.

But the easy way is not Caitlen Smaga's style.

So instead of joining a team, she became one.

Monday, Bishop McLaughlin unveiled its first swim team. Which is to say this:

Smaga took off her warmups, jumped in the pool and swam really, really fast.

Who says there's no "I" in team?

"It was pretty neat," she said.

It's a start, a ripple she hopes soon will become a tidal wave. With each meet - she has to compete in four to be eligible for the postseason - she looks to attract a new teammate or two.

"She's a pretty amazing young lady," said her father, Ken. "She's excited about doing this, starting this thing. She could have swam somewhere else. But I think she looked forward to the challenge and wanted to leave something tangible behind."

Just like she left the field behind in her two events Monday at Veterans Memorial Pool in Hudson. Smaga's time in the 100 butterfly 1:06.60, her best event, was the best in Pasco County this season. She also won the 500 freestyle (5:53.54) easily, which she swam for kicks.

Call her first performance an investment that already is paying off.

"Seven people were out there to cheer me on from school," she said. "I've been hearing more talk about the swim team. I've had girls come up to me and ask, 'Where's the swim team? I wanna be on it.'

"I'm like, 'Where were you last year.' "

Last year. Smaga remembers it well.

After moving from Cleveland to Land O'Lakes - Lakes! - and attending school in Spring Hill - Springs! - she figured finding swimmers wouldn't be too tough.

She scoured the halls. Begged a little. Started a petition.

In a small, young school where athletes are at a premium - the football team is the basketball team is the baseball team - her plan sank.

Two girls committed. But that was just a false start. One ended up not coming back to school this year; the other had an injury.

Smaga, however, wasn't completely left without a team. She had her club coach Kevin Rumble, her dad and Hudson coach Julie Heise.

Rumble, a former state champion, saw Smaga improving greatly over the summer and thought she might be a state champ one day.

He told Ken, who had an idea, which he pitched to Heise.

A one-person team?

She loved it. She called the Florida High School Athletic Association and filled out the paperwork.

"I could not let another summer go by without her being able to compete," said Heise, whose daughter swims with Smaga in club and who arranged Monday's debut.

Rumble-to-Dad-to-Heise-to-Smaga may be the best relay team Bishop McLaughlin ever fields.

The 16-year-old Smaga will swim in St. Petersburg in a few weeks, then on to a Catholic school meet in Orlando to ready herself for the postseason.

She hopes to attract some attention, but mostly, teammates. She said Mike Zelenka, the school's athletic director who attended the first meet, has pledged to help her get a full team ready by next season.

Until then, she will swim, and swim fast, eager to make it to the finish line, hoping that one day, when she gets there, her teammates will be waiting for her.