It isn’t too late to join the Huntington High School girls’ swimming and diving team. The fall season officially begins today, Monday, August 23, but Blue Devil head coach Christopher Helmke said the invitation to come out for the squad will remain open this week.
The Huntington girls’ swimming and diving program has a decades long history with the current and former team members being a tightknit group. So far, this year’s turnout has been overwhelming.
Junior Kathryn Montefusco is the star of the Huntington swimming and diving team.
A member of J. Taylor Finley Middle School’s science department faculty, Coach Helmke has been at the helm of the pool program for many years. He is assisted by Meg McConnell, who specializes in the diving events, but also works with the swimmers competing individually and in relays.
Huntington is led by junior Kathryn Montefusco, a two-time state championships qualifier. The teenager is well-positioned to make a run at the state title this year and next.
The Blue Devils will practice daily from 8-10 a.m. at the Huntington Bay Club’s outdoor pool overlooking Huntington Bay. When classes resume on Thursday, September 9, the team will move indoors to the YMCA pool. Practices will run there from 3-4 p.m. daily.
Interested in joining the swimming and diving team? Report to the Huntington High School nurses office on either Monday or Tuesday between 7-10 a.m. and submit a physical exam report and interval health history form. Students who have had a physical exam within the past year are good to go. All they need to submit is the interval health history form.
Here are links to the needed forms:
• Private Physical Exam Form (link below)
http://www.hufsd.edu/assets/pdf/resources/2021/health/private_physical_exam_form.pdf
• Interval Health History Form (link below)
http://www.hufsd.edu/assets/pdf/athletics/2022/interval_health_history.pdf
http://www.hufsd.edu/assets/pdf/athletics/2022/interval_health_history-sp.pdf
The school nurse will give students a white clearance form they can show to Coach Helmke. Once cleared by the nurse, swimmers can report directly to the Bay Club for practice.
All Blue Devil sports student-athletes are also required to submit a blue parent permission form to their coach no later than the first day of tryouts/practice.
The form can be found at this link:
http://www.hufsd.edu/assets/pdf/athletics/2022/parent_consent_form.pdf
A message can be sent to Coach Helmke at chelmke@hufsd.edu.