Smooth sailing for Seattle Synchro

Published 9:52 am Friday, February 22, 2008

This year, one Seattle team kept afloat with the help of several local athletes.

The Seattle Synchronized Swim Team, known as Seattle Synchro, recently completed a banner season. The team sent 14 athletes to Ypsilanti, Mich., July 21-27 for the U.S. Junior and Senior Open Championships.

“All of our swimmers are improving so much, teams around the country are taking notice and complimenting us on our success,” said head coach Khadija Strong.

Girls ages 6 to 20 compete for Synchro, which has existed for 25 years. The team was previously called the Seattle Aqua Club.

Synchro won three gold, three silver and two bronze medals June 29-July 7 at the Esynchro Age Group Championships in Federal Way, taking home their most medals ever.

So what exactly is synchronized swimming?

Strong, head coach since 1997, compared the aquatic sport to “running a mile while holding your breath.” The bulk of the 4-minute swim routines are spent underwater. Swimmers aren’t allowed to touch the pool floor while performing several twists and lifts.

During a team lift, several submerged swimmers act as “eggbeaters,” kicking rapidly to stay upright. They support another swimmer who lays on her back, resting near the water surface. Meanwhile, yet another team member stands upright on the horizontal teammate, forming a giant T.

Elements of gymnastics, water polo, ballet and ice skating are found in the sport, Strong said, but synchronized swimming is different: “It involves a lot more practice (than most sports) to get that many people moving together perfectly.” The team practices more than 15 hours a week at the Carole Ann Wald Pool in Kenmore.

Karen Engle of Shoreline used to play soccer and softball. She hesitated when a friend invited her to try synchronized swimming six years ago.

“I had no idea what I was getting into,” she said. “But it’s a lot of fun.”

This year, Engle won a gold medal in the eight-person team 16-17 age group competition in Federal Way. According to Engle, 17, she and her seven teammates spent more than five months perfecting their award-winning routine.

“(Karen) is one of the most dependable girls on the team,” said coach Jennifer Clarke. “This year she has come out and really motivated her teammates.”

Sisters Jennifer and Janelle Arenz of Mill Creek love competing. Jennifer, 20, has been swimming competitively for 11 years. With a background in dance and gymnastics, she said the choreography and music elements in synchronized swimming were an appealing combination. She remembers the first time she watched synch swimmers in action.

“I thought it was really cool,” she said. “I was in awe of them.”

Synchronized swimming gives her an important release, she said: “It’s almost like acting. I step into character and try to express something.”

She and a teammate placed fifth in the duet event in Michigan.

Sister Janelle, 15, was on Synchro’s B-squad team that placed fourth in Federal Way.

“My favorite part about the sport is competing and performing,” she said. Putting on makeup and a performance costume adds to the fun, Janelle added.

“I enjoy the whole package.”

The sisters said they love synchronized swimming and hope to dispel any negative rumors about the sport.

“A lot of people have this false belief that it’s simple,” Jennifer said. “They think we’re just standing on the pool (floor).

“It’s actually a very physically demanding sport.”

According to Jennifer, synchronized swimming requires breath control endurance, arm and abdomen strength and good flexibility.

And, of course, synchronization.

After brainstorming routine ideas with coaches, the girls spend several months working together to master their program. They train for solo, duet, trio and eight-person team events. The final product is worth the hard work, the sisters said. Strong agrees.

“They are two of the best team players on the club,” she said. “They both have not only a technical understanding of the sport but they are also very good team leaders.”

This was Jennifer’s first official year coaching the 12-13 age group. She also swims for the University of Washington synchro club team with whom she was a national collegiate finalist in 2000-01. Her 2002 Synchro performance qualified her for the 2003 U.S. Nationals next spring. She will swim two more years at the UW. Then she plans to coach synchronized swimmers for many years to come.

Other local athletes also excelled for Seattle Synchro. Bothell’s Katee Armbruster placed ninth in Federal Way with the 14-15 age group team and Brier’s Olga Drogomiretskiy earned sixteenth place in the 12-13 age group.

Seattle Synchro is swimming towards a bright future, Strong said.

“We’ve put Seattle back on the synchro map.”