Cards put best fins forward

Canfield is gearing up for this weekend's district meet.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CANFIELD -- A few months ago, when Canfield High was holding swimming tryouts, coach Andrea Linnelli looked at the roster and knew she had a problem.
Fifty-two kids had tried out. She had room for 36.
"I knew I had to make some really tough cuts," she said. "It was really hard. This was probably the toughest preseason I've ever had because I knew what I had to do."
In past years, Linnelli sometimes had to cut two or three swimmers, but they were typically casual swimmers. This year, she had to cut several promising swimmers, some of whom were involved in summer programs at the YMCA or at YSU.
No room for JVs
But because the Cardinals practice at the Salem Community Center, there's no room for a junior varsity team.
Only the best 18 boys and girls made it. And over the past few months, they've become really close, one of the big reasons for the Cardinals' success this season. Canfield's boys team went 14-0-1 in the regular season with its only tie coming with powerful Canton GlenOak. The girls, meanwhile, went 14-1.
Both were undefeated in the league. Both are sending a host of swimmers to this weekend's district meet.
"They're a great bunch of kids," said Linnelli. "Sometimes you have a boys team and a girls team and they don't really talk much, but ours is a whole team atmosphere."
That chemistry doesn't come just from meets and practices, either. The Cardinals must practice from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 on Saturday mornings and several swimmers hang out afterward, eating breakfast at Panera Bread or Dunkin Donuts. There are often weekly wing nights and Linnelli holds an annual team party at her house.
Success is continuation
The boys team's success is a continuation of last year's postseason, when the 200-yard freestyle relay finished seventh in the state to earn All-Ohio acclaim and the 400-yard freestyle relay placed 13th.
"It gave them confidence that they could be successful," said Linnelli. "Now they're doing even better. They've already beat their state time in the 400 free and their confidence is high."
Linnelli's main problem is figuring out who to put on the two relays -- she's got a lot of talented freestylers -- and the Cardinals' friendly rivalry with Boardman has made both teams better, she said.
"I think it is a good, healthy rivalry," said Linnelli. "But I always say, talk is cheap. You've got to do it in the water. We respect Boardman and I hope and think they respect us."
Canfield's girls team isn't quite as strong (at least from a district-state meet perspective) but it has a bright future.
"These things always go in cycles," she said. "For the boys, the state meet is more in their future, but I'll tell you what: Our girls are good. And they're really driven to get better."
Middle of upswing
After a few down years, the Valley's swimming programs are in the middle of an upswing. They're not as deep or as talented as they were five years ago, but several swimmers have a chance -- pardon the expression -- to make some waves this postseason.
Linnelli, for one, is cautiously optimistic.
"I'd like to see to some individuals go [to the state meet] and I think our relays can get out again," she said. "It's there for them, now it's just a question of whether they can do it. They have the talent, they've put the work into it and they just need to believe in themselves that they can do it.
"And they can, trust me."
scalzo@vindy.com