There's a fly in Hersey's success

You could say Hersey senior swimmer Nicole Gill was born to do the 100-yard butterfly.

"The first time I started doing the fly, I didn't finish it," Gill said. "The first time I swam it on my 11th birthday, I swam it and just got it. We do strength training, but I'm not very strong. But I'm real meticulous."

"Her specialty the last four years has been the fly, but she's really developed in the 100 freestyle, and the 200 IM has always been a good event for her," said Hersey coach Rob Lindgren.

Gill has qualified to state all three years in the fly, with 18th her highest finish in the preliminaries. The top-12 fastest times advance to the finals.

"The time between 12th and 18th was half a second," Gill recalled. "They're talking that this year it's going to be the fastest fly ever."

After conference, sectionals and state, Gill has verbally committed to attend the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay to continue her swimming career. That means swimming the 200 fly.

"I'm going to have to learn the 200 fly," Gill said. "The strategy is tough, and it's tough on your mind. The last 15 yards is when you hurt the most."

Lindgren has no doubt that Gill will successfully handle the challenge.

"She has really grown up and matured over her time at Hersey," he said. "It's impressive not only what she's done but what she's done with the kids in the pool.

"I think high school swimming definitely sets you off on the right foot. It promotes team and that's so important. It gives you a chance to be a role model.

"The things we had most going for each other was staying together. Someone was always there picking us up."

Gill took a year off from swimming and credits that for helping her improve her skills.

"I took the summer before junior year off," Gill said. "I'm glad I did. I came back even stronger."

With swimmers like Gill, Hersey won its first division title this season since 2003.

"I hope I made an impression on them," Gill said of her teammates. "It's an accomplishment in itself if you can make a difference."

"It's been really nice," Lindgren said. "She came in as a freshman and right away with her swimming ability she made varsity. This year, she's kind of grown into a complete competitor."