Seymour swimmer shows versatility

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Steve Frohling has swam various events during his time on the Seymour swim team, and admits it is hard to pick a favorite individual event.

He recalled his freshman year he swam the 200 individual medley and the 100 butterfly.

“This year I’m swimming the 100 breaststroke, and sometimes I get put in the butterfly, but mainly I swim the 200 individual medley,” Frohling said. “I think my favorite is either the 100 butterfly or the 100 breaststroke.”

Both the buttefly and breaststroke require different methods for success.

“The butterfly takes a lot of upper body strength and not so much lower body strength,” Frohling said. “I mean, you need a little bit of lower body strength for your kick. The breaststroke is pretty much the opposite. You need strong legs and less pull.”

Frohling said he normally swims the butterfly in the 200 medley relay and a leg in the 200 free relay, but occasionally he’ll swim the 400 free relay instead of the 200 free.

He said as soon as he arrives at the pool for a meet that day or night, he begins preparing mentally for his races.

“I think that I need to get mentally prepared so I get pumped up,” he said. “I listen to some music and talk to my friends. Then I work on my turns. I have to get used to the walls for my backstroke in the IM.”

One of Frohling’s friends convinced him to swim his eighth-grade year, and he has spent a lot of time in the water ever since.

In the pool, Frohling relies on both mental and physical ability to put up personal bests.

“I think every part of practice is important,” Frohlings said. “Swimming is a full-body workout. You have to work your whole body.

“I think the mental part of sports is very important because you have to get mentally prepared for it before you do it, and then you have to clear your mind and (Coach Dave) Boggs says you have to think of one thing only and forget everything else.”

Frohling said the sectional his freshman year was an important milestone in his swimming career.

“Coming in I didn’t think I was that strong of a swimmer, and I made it into sectional finals for the 100 butterfly and the 200 IM, he said”

The senior’s career-best time in the butterfly has been 1:02, and his best time in the best time in the breast has been 1:07.

“I’d like to go 1:02 on my breaststroke and a sub minute on my butterfly,” he listed as his goals at the end of the season.

On the schedule, Frohling always circles the home meets.

“I really do enjoy the home meets,” Frohling said. “I think we get our whole team pumped up. I just like all our meets in general because we’re all there together and get to talk and get each-other pumped up”

He said the workouts during the holiday break were an important time of the season.

“I think that’s the time we get to know each-other,” Frohling said. “We get to go out for breakfast all the time, so I think that’s our team-bonding time.

“Everybody has their good days and everybody has their bad days. I believe since we’re one big, happy family that we can all pump each-other up and everybody at least practice with a smile on their face. It just makes me happy that we have a big family.”

Athletics have played a major part in Frohling’s high school experience.

“I’ve enjoyed SHS. I’m not going to remember as much being a student at SHS as I am the swimming part of it,” Frohling said. “The swimming part of it, if I have a bad day at school or if something happens, it just brightens up my day. We have a bunch of positive people here.”

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Name: Steve Frohling

School: Seymour High School

Parents: Susan Frohling, James Turner

Siblings: Ashley, Nick

Sports: Swimming, four years

Athletic highlights: 110 percent award sophomore, junior seasons

Plans after high school: Join Coast Guard as rescue diver

Favorite food: Pizza, steak

Favorite TV show: “Arrow”

Favorite music: Country

Favorite athlete: Michael Phelps

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