West Valley Swim Club members (left to right) Mary Gaugler, Tracy Kinsch, Jancy Thompson and Sarah Oberhauser represented their club and their country at the Edmonton Keyano International Invitational Championships in Canada.
By Dick Sparrer
The Olympics just ended.
But as far as the swimmers in the West Valley Swim Club are concerned, that just means that it's time for Olympic training to begin.
The West Valley swimmers are just wrapping up the 1996 summer season, and many team members have their sights set on the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
Mary Gaugler tops that list of hopefuls. The talented 13-year-old swimmer from Los Gatos is coming off of an outstanding summer showing for West Valley.
Gaugler starred for the local club in international competition in Canada earlier this spring. Gaugler won four gold medals, two silver and one bronze representing the United States at the Edmonton Keyano International Invitational Championships in April.
Gaugler was named the swimmer of the meet after posting a 2:08.61 to win the 200 freestyle. She was also first in the 800 free, 400 free and 100 free, second in the 400 individual medley and 200 butterfly and third in the 100 fly.
Gaugler was one of four West Valley stars to shine in Canada. Tracy Kinsch, Jancy Thompson and Sarah Oberhauser also represented the USA at the meet.
Kinsch, 16, won the bronze medal with a third-place finish in the 100 breaststroke, and she was first in the consolation final in the 200 breast.
Thompson, 14, competed in seven individual events, scoring in five of them--the 800, 400, 200 and 100 free, and the 200 fly.
Oberhauser, 13, swam the fly leg of the medley relay for the USA, and she also carried the American flag in meet ceremonies.
In other action this summer, Gaugler and Kinsch competed in the finals of the Grand Prix Challenge in Irvine, competing against many Olympians and national team members. Gaugler also competed in the Santa Clara International Meet, covered by ABC's Wide World of Sports.
Gaugler, who holds three Pacific Swimming records and won three national championships in the 11-12 age group, will lead a contingent of West Valley swimmers to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs this fall.
Girls' water polo
But they do more than swim in the West Valley Swim Club. The organization now features a girls' 17-and-under water polo team, made up of high school players from Los Gatos, Saratoga and other local schools.
Los Gatos girls' coach Tim Outtrim heads up the squad that includes Rachel Stratton, Joy Patterson, Lisa Greenfield and Lisa Cristol of Los Gatos and Amanda Benda and Danielle Tobin of Saratoga.
The West Valley squad has competed in tournament play this summer against high school and college teams from all over Northern California.
Greenfield, the goalkeeper, has been outstanding in the cage and Tobin has starred defensively. Patterson, Stratton and Cristol are leaders in the offensive end of the pool.
Club players will return to their high school teams when the fall season begins.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, August 14, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved