Lakewood Ranch aims to defend Manatee County swimming titles

For more than half a decade, Julie Santiago watched Lakewood Ranch from a distance. As she coached the Sarasota Tsunami Swim Team and Sarasota Christian, she crossed paths with Mustangs either collectively during tri-county meets or individuals during club events. She had certain expectations.

For more than two months now, she has gotten to know Lakewood Ranch up close. The first-year head coach began in August and has seen all of the expectations of what it would be like to work with the Mustangs fulfilled.

“I had seen a lot of these kids swim because I’ve been a part of the swim community,” Santiago said. “I also was aware, having watched this team over the years, how well they do at being a team. I immediately saw that. Even though swimming is an individual sport, even though you have the different dynamic of club swimming thrown in this has always been a program that does ‘team’ very well.”

The strength of the team led Lakewood Ranch to both the boys and girls title at the Manatee County Championship last season. On Wednesday at 3 p.m., the Mustangs will try to defend both titles at G.T. Bray Park Recreation Center in Bradenton.

Particularly on the girls side, Lakewood Ranch remains a clear county power. Courtney Chapin, who missed a Class 4A title in 100-meter backstroke by 0.84 seconds last year, returns to lead the Mustang girls and verbally committed to swim at Ohio earlier this week. The senior’s perfect record in the 100 backstroke this season makes her one of two unbeaten for Lakewood Ranch this year. Freshman Katelynn Coons has yet to lose in the 50 freestyle during her brief high school career.

The only reigning state champion in the meet, though, comes from Bayshore’s boys. T.C. Smith, who won the Class 2A championship in the 500 freestyle last year then competed in the 2016 United States Olympic Trials, is the favorite in his event and perhaps the top swimmer in the field.

“The quality of swimming in Manatee County has really grown and we need to keep up with that, so our kids have stepped up, for sure, because I think the quality of swimming that we’re seeing from all the high schools in our area, in our county has increased. You can’t take for granted that we’re just going to be the best.”

This story was originally published October 4, 2016 at 6:05 PM with the headline "Lakewood Ranch aims to defend Manatee County swimming titles."