MONROE - Reaching the YMCA National Short Course Swimming Championships never gets old for Rachel Root, who is going for the third time.
But if you really want to hear the excitement in the Monroe High School junior's voice, ask her about Green County YMCA Gators teammate Marissa Berg's nationals seeding in the 50-yard freestyle.
"Oh my gosh, that's really exciting to even say you know someone that's seeded first at nationals," Root said of Berg, a sophomore from Monticello.
"That's really, really impressive."
Co-coach Brenda Ritschard thinks so, too.
"It's incredible. We can't believe it," said Ritschard, who has been involved with the Green County Y swim program for 17 of the last 22 years.
Berg and Root will join Gators teammate Will Fenner, a Monticello senior, at nationals, which begin Monday in Greensboro, N.C.
Orangeville's Lisa Lang, a senior, and Monroe's Sarah Kind, a junior, also qualified as part of a relay team with Root and Berg but will not compete at nationals.
Berg, Root and Fenner all are repeat national qualifiers for the event, which is open to swimmers age 13-18. Berg was seeded highly in the 50 freestyle a year ago and finished 10th, although she was the top finisher in the 13-14 age group.
Berg learned Tuesday night, after playing in Monticello's season-opening softball victory, that her time of 23.15 is the best among 198 qualifiers in the 50 free.
"It feels good, but it's nerve-wracking," said Berg, who is making her third straight trip to nationals. "I knew my time was fast and I was up there (near the top) last year, too. It's just much different when you go down there and swim it because anything can happen and anybody can win.
"I'm only 15 and I'm swimming against a lot of older kids. I'm just going to swim and whatever happens, happens."
Berg also will swim in the 100 and 200 freestyle, and the 100 breaststroke events at nationals, which is being held indoors this year as opposed to recent years when nationals was held outdoors at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
"I'm going to enjoy it more," Berg said of swimming indoors. "For freestyle and butterfly, it doesn't matter as much, but I'm used to swimming indoors so it's more in my favor and more in the Midwest swimmers' favor."
Root will swim in the 100 and 200 backstrokes, the 100 breaststroke and the 100 butterfly. She's seeded highest in the 100 backstroke, at No. 34, with a time of 57.78. The top 30 times from preliminaries advance to the finals round.
"I know I'm going to have to take off time to go to the finals," Root said. "I'm hoping the atmosphere will just get me going."
Root said she's happy with her swim season.
"It's gone pretty well," she said. "This year has been one of the years we've worked the hardest as a team. Technique-wise, we've gotten better and the coaches (Ritschard and Mark Lang) have really been emphasizing that."
Fenner, who made his nationals debut last spring in the 100 backstroke, qualified in the same event this year. He made his qualifying mark at the YMCA state meet earlier this month and is seeded 129th with a time of 54.89.
"I struggled to get my national cut and at the last meet when I made it, that's basically what made it good," Fenner said of his season as a whole. "I didn't think I would get it - I wasn't anywhere close."
Ritschard said that no matter what happens at nationals, it has been a banner season for the squad. That point was driven home in a poignant moment recently.
"In the middle of the state meet, they gave T-shirts to all the kids who were going to nationals," Ritschard said. "We were probably fifth out of all the YMCAs in the state" in terms of qualifiers.
"Most of the Y's had one or two and the only ones who had more than us was Schroeder (YMCA) in Milwaukee, Oconomowoc had quite a few, the Dane County YMCAs and Green Bay. That was pretty exciting."
Not nearly as exciting, however, as the thought of a Green County Family YMCA swimmer perhaps bringing home a national title.
"I'm just going to swim hard," Berg said. "This is the last chance to do good this year."
But if you really want to hear the excitement in the Monroe High School junior's voice, ask her about Green County YMCA Gators teammate Marissa Berg's nationals seeding in the 50-yard freestyle.
"Oh my gosh, that's really exciting to even say you know someone that's seeded first at nationals," Root said of Berg, a sophomore from Monticello.
"That's really, really impressive."
Co-coach Brenda Ritschard thinks so, too.
"It's incredible. We can't believe it," said Ritschard, who has been involved with the Green County Y swim program for 17 of the last 22 years.
Berg and Root will join Gators teammate Will Fenner, a Monticello senior, at nationals, which begin Monday in Greensboro, N.C.
Orangeville's Lisa Lang, a senior, and Monroe's Sarah Kind, a junior, also qualified as part of a relay team with Root and Berg but will not compete at nationals.
Berg, Root and Fenner all are repeat national qualifiers for the event, which is open to swimmers age 13-18. Berg was seeded highly in the 50 freestyle a year ago and finished 10th, although she was the top finisher in the 13-14 age group.
Berg learned Tuesday night, after playing in Monticello's season-opening softball victory, that her time of 23.15 is the best among 198 qualifiers in the 50 free.
"It feels good, but it's nerve-wracking," said Berg, who is making her third straight trip to nationals. "I knew my time was fast and I was up there (near the top) last year, too. It's just much different when you go down there and swim it because anything can happen and anybody can win.
"I'm only 15 and I'm swimming against a lot of older kids. I'm just going to swim and whatever happens, happens."
Berg also will swim in the 100 and 200 freestyle, and the 100 breaststroke events at nationals, which is being held indoors this year as opposed to recent years when nationals was held outdoors at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
"I'm going to enjoy it more," Berg said of swimming indoors. "For freestyle and butterfly, it doesn't matter as much, but I'm used to swimming indoors so it's more in my favor and more in the Midwest swimmers' favor."
Root will swim in the 100 and 200 backstrokes, the 100 breaststroke and the 100 butterfly. She's seeded highest in the 100 backstroke, at No. 34, with a time of 57.78. The top 30 times from preliminaries advance to the finals round.
"I know I'm going to have to take off time to go to the finals," Root said. "I'm hoping the atmosphere will just get me going."
Root said she's happy with her swim season.
"It's gone pretty well," she said. "This year has been one of the years we've worked the hardest as a team. Technique-wise, we've gotten better and the coaches (Ritschard and Mark Lang) have really been emphasizing that."
Fenner, who made his nationals debut last spring in the 100 backstroke, qualified in the same event this year. He made his qualifying mark at the YMCA state meet earlier this month and is seeded 129th with a time of 54.89.
"I struggled to get my national cut and at the last meet when I made it, that's basically what made it good," Fenner said of his season as a whole. "I didn't think I would get it - I wasn't anywhere close."
Ritschard said that no matter what happens at nationals, it has been a banner season for the squad. That point was driven home in a poignant moment recently.
"In the middle of the state meet, they gave T-shirts to all the kids who were going to nationals," Ritschard said. "We were probably fifth out of all the YMCAs in the state" in terms of qualifiers.
"Most of the Y's had one or two and the only ones who had more than us was Schroeder (YMCA) in Milwaukee, Oconomowoc had quite a few, the Dane County YMCAs and Green Bay. That was pretty exciting."
Not nearly as exciting, however, as the thought of a Green County Family YMCA swimmer perhaps bringing home a national title.
"I'm just going to swim hard," Berg said. "This is the last chance to do good this year."
