By Betsy Haugh and Bart Isley/Scrimmageplay.com
Brodde Lamb has been a fixture on the local swim scene since she was four years old and pulled on her goggles for Boar’s Head Swim Club for the first time.
But the Charlottesville High-graduate’s final season in the Jefferson Swim League is, after 14 years, coming to a close.
“It’s going to definitely be weird not coming to meets and swimming (in the summers),” Lamb said. “It’s been a huge part of my life for a long time.”
Her swimming career, however is rolling on. Lamb will head down interstate 64 and join William and Mary’s swimming and diving program this fall. The opportunity to swim at the next level is a product of a decorated high school and club career — Lamb finished third in the Group AA in the 200-Individual Medley and fourth in the 100-meter butterfly during the 2011 championships back in February. She also qualified in 10 events for Short Course YMCA nationals in 2011 for the CYAC year-round squad and was finialist in the 200 IM, 400 IM, 100 butterfly and 200 butterfly at the 2010 and 2011 YMCA nationals.
Lamb made the decision to join the Tribe near the end of March as part of a 10-swimmer recruiting class.
“For me it provided the best combination of academics and athletics—I’d like to go to med school, so that’s going to allow me to do basically everything I want to in college,” Lamb said. “I still get to participate in the sport that I love for four more years — it’s ideal.”
For right now, Lamb is focused on helping coach the Boar’s Head squad while also swimming in certain events, many of which she’s a top-three swimmer in and often a team record-holder in various age divisions.
“It’s fun to see it come full circle, to see the next generation coming up,” Lamb said.
Burr, O’Connell give Boar’s Head depth in younger divisions
Two swimmers already proving to be viable candidates to fill Lamb’s shoes in the coming years are eight year olds Kathryn Burr and Cordy O’Connell. Two of the most competitive swimmers on the team, Burr and O’Connell are currently ranked in the top ten in seven events collectively.
Burr is a top-five swimmer in four events: backstroke, butterfly, and the 25-meter and 50-meter freestyle. She has already found great success in the 25-meter fly this summer. With a time of 20.46 in the event, Burr shattered a nine-year-old record Lamb, now her coach, set in July 2002.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Burr said. “It’s just really fun.”
Burr constantly has a reason to work hard, as she faces tough competition within her own team. Friend and teammate O’Connell also ranks in the top ten in the butterfly, and the 25-meter and 50-meter freestyle.
“We have lots of fun together and work really hard,” O’Connell said.
Saunders gives Boar’s Head a spark
O’Connell and Burr’s hypercompetitive counterpart on the boys’ side of the spectrum is Harry Saunders. Ranked number 6 in the 50-meter backstroke, number 10 in the 100-meter freestyle, and number 11 in the individual medley, Saunders at 11-years old knows the advantages of having a competitive drive.
“I just like (swimming),” he said. “It gives you extra motivation to always be racing… You can always get better.”
Saunders already holds a slew of team records for the Boar’s Head at the 9-10 level, including the 100-freestyle, 50-backstroke and 50-butterfly. He particularly enjoys the individual element found in swimming, knowing he controls his own destiny in the pool.
“There’s no relying on other people,” he said.
That’s not to say Saunders doesn’t enjoy team sports as well; he competes out of the pool in football and baseball, in addition to swimming year-round for the Charlottesville YMCA Aquatic Club.
“I’ve always been really competitive in a lot of sports,” Saunders said.
