By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

SILVERTON, Ore.–  After a two-hour long practice Tuesday morning at the Silverton Pool, Silverton senior Catherine Hyde was putting in some extra work on her backstroke event.  Working on timing and technique in the process.  Coming within 1.58 seconds from winning the 5A State Title in the event, falling to Churchill’s Kaylie Taylor to finish State Runner-Up in the event as a junior.

“It really motivates me because I know I can do better and I’ve been really focused on really improving my times.  Last year that was the time I was looking for and now I’m looking at it more as a time stand-point and now I want to drop it and get to where I want to be for college.  Also too, State Champ would be cool,” laughs Hyde.

Lowering her times in preparation for college, where Hyde had recently signed to swim at the University of Idaho, making it to State and placing are goals for the senior swimmer.  She finished fourth in the 100-yard butterfly and helped the 200-yard Medley Relay and 200-yard freestyle to seventh and ninth-place finishes after breaking four school records as a junior.  Setting school records in 100-yard butterfly, 200 freestyle, 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard backstroke in the process to help her towards a successful senior year.

“I’m just trying to set myself up in the best position possible for college next year and improve, that’s the goal,” Hyde describes.

Technique and mindset are two areas that Hyde is looking forward to improving upon this year as well.  Technique in race and chasing away any negative thoughts in the mental game to help take her to where she wants to be to chase after those goals.  Pointing towards Silverton Head Coach Lucky Rogers and her club coaches down in Stayton in helping her along the way.

“Last year my technique was very good, but coming into this year, if I want the times I want, I’m going to have to fix those little things. That’s what’s going to help me drop the time.  I have the strength, but I just need that technique and that’s where both Rogers and my club coach come into play of just trying to fix me to make me the best,” starts Hyde.  “The biggest thing is going to work on my mindset.  Sometimes I like to be negative, and so this year it’s just going to focus on being positive, but just putting in the grind and getting used to it.”

With her college search over, signing to swim with the Vandals, it’s a matter of just lining everything up going into her freshman year.  Hyde’s happy to be done with the process, and now it’s just time to put in the work and prepare for this final season with the Aqua Foxes and for college.

“It’s shocking honestly.  I talked to people and ‘I knew you could do it’, I knew it was the dream and to know that it’s actually real is actually insane because I never thought I could do it and to know all my effort and belief that other people put into me helped me get better,” Hyde said.  “Coming in, I want to be in the best possible position I can.  There’s some fast swimmers  on the team and I want to be able to compete with them, so this year is all about preparing and it’s nice to have the College search stress off my shoulders and focus on getting better.”

Silverton opens the season December 2 against Molalla at the Molalla Aquatic Center before hosting Lebanon December 6 in Silverton.