2010 Hammond Skyhawk swim team (l–r): Front Row – Duncan Ellison, Rivers Clarke, Ayan Dasgupta, Anne Fawcett, Zac Lipsitz, Lauren Lenker, Amelia Green, Sarah Manning, and Henry Long; Second Row – Michael Borden, Thomas Gunnlaugsson, Toni Ogunfowora, Kelly Presper, Ricky Ho, Henry Augenstein, Jared Blake, Margaret Banes Borden, Sydney Bland, Ann Gray Jumper, and Coach Anna Gray MacMurphy; Third Row – Coach Janice Thompson, Coach Leanne Thompson, Clara Castles, Burke Ugarte, Dorian Green, Mary Etta Castles, Shand Owens, Chris Blake, Thomas Lobitz, Matthew Kay, and Catherine Borden. Not Pictured: Trent Tompkins, Sarah Dobbs, Craig Wall, and Jiwoo Kim. Photo contributed by Hammond School The Hammond girls’ swim team may have the chance to be the bride this year.

As state runner–ups for the past three years, the bridesmaid title has belonged to the Skyhawks. But with last year’s state champion, St. Joseph’s, moving into a different classification, it seems that Hammond has a better chance to capture the crown in 2010.

“St. Joseph’s beat us the past two years and have moved out of SCISA and into public school competition due to its size,” said varsity head coach Janice Thompson. “I am very excited about this girls’ Hammond swim team and expect that this is going to be our best year ever.”

Thompson will be looking to co–captains Kelly Presper and Sarah Dobbs to lead the charge. Presper, the 2009 SCISCA swimmer of the year, is strong in the 200 and 500 freestyle and the individual medley. Dobbs excels in the 200 IM, 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke, and 100 breaststroke.

Other girls expected to make an impact include Sydney Bland (backstroke and butterfly), Ann Gray Jumper (breaststroke), and Dorian Green (freestyle), a “sprinter who has gotten really strong over the past year and who will be very valuable to Hammond in the sprint events and relays,” Thompson said.

As far as the boys’ team, Thompson said she is “expecting great things from Thomas Lobitz and Chris Blake, our co–captains this year."

This will be a rebuilding year for the boys after losing seven seniors, but Thompson said she has “a lot of faith in our returning boys and in our new group of young, enthusiastic boys who are really going to help make it a fun, fast year of swimming."

The Hammond boys have moved up in SCISA rankings each of the past four years and in 2009 placed third at state.

“I'm hopeful that we’ll continue that pattern,” she said.

Thompson said she has been pleased with the progress of her young and new swimmers including Zac Lipsitz, Jared Blake, and Shand Owens.

“Shand is a newcomer to our team this year, and we can already tell he’s going to be one of our fastest breaststroke and butterfly swimmers,” she said. “We will be counting on him to join Lobitz, Blake, and Lipsitz to help form our A relays.”