BULTEMA GETTING CLOSER WESTLAKE SWIMMER AIMS AT NATIONALS.Byline: Anel Laj Staff Writer Just mere tenths of a second, that's all. But, to Sarah Bultema, that all translates into more power in her kick, a longer reach at the finish and a faster turn at the wall. For the last couple of years, that thought has occupied the mind of the Westlake High swimmer. Dreaming about participating at the Junior Nationals this August in San Antonio San Antonio (săn ăntō`nēō, əntōn`), city (1990 pop. 935,933), seat of Bexar co., S central Tex., at the source of the San Antonio River; inc. 1837. , Bultema has dropped her time in the 100 butterfly butterfly, any of a large group of insects found throughout most of the world; with the moths, they comprise the order Lepidoptera. There are about 12 families of butterflies. Most adult moths and butterflies feed on nectar sucked from flowers. to 58.66, just .17 off what she needs to qualify. After falling short the past couple of seasons, competing in the Junior Nationals is a goal Bultema continues to set for herself. ``I'm only tenths off in the 100 butterfly and I keep dropping my time every year,'' said Bultema. ``My goal this year is to swim in the Junior Nationals. After that it's the Senior Nationals. It's something I hope to accomplish. I think every swimmer has that in mind.'' Ever since she was eight, Bultema has pictured herself swimming with the best. She did well in the Junior Olympics. Though she played softball softball, variant of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Invented (1888) in Chicago as an indoor game, it was at various times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground ball, kitten ball, and, because it was also played by women, ladies' as a youngster, she chose to focus on swimming. It was in the water where she eventually found success. She said it was the thrill of competition, meeting new people and traveling that she enjoyed the most. But Bultema didn't start swimming the grueling gru·el·ing also gru·el·ling adj. Physically or mentally demanding to the point of exhaustion: a grueling campaign. gru butterfly until she was older. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. her, the butterfly has a reputation among swimmers of being difficult because of the effort and strength it demands of the upper body. Still, it is her specialty and her expectations are high this year, with the pressure to improve on last season's performance building up. As a freshman in 1999, Bultena was the most valuable swimmer on her team, dominating the Marmonte League The Marmonte League is a high school sports league primarily made up of schools from Ventura County. The Marmonte Leauge is part of the CIF Southern Section. Click here to view the league schedule. and finishing fifth in the Southern Section meet. This year, Bultena won three events in the only meet in which she has competed, taking the 100 butterfly, 200 IM relay and the 400 freestyle The code name for the MCE version of Windows. See Media Center Edition. relay. ``I've been swimming since I was 7 and it's finally paying off in high school,'' said Bultema. ``I just want to live up to last year. I feel like there's a lot of pressure on me. I just want to finish in the top five (in the Southern Section).`` According to Carole Bultema, Sarah's mother, part of her daughter's success stems from the dedication and time she spends on the sport, as well as the encouragement she receives from all her coaches. Westlake coach Kurt White is flexible with the practice schedule and allows Bultema to train with CCAT CCAT Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (Humboldt State University; Arcata, CA) CCAT Cornell Caltech Atacama Telescope CCAT Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test CCAT Competition Commission Appeals Tribunal , her club team. Bultema makes the daily trip to Cal State Channel Islands, where teammate Nick Glaze glaze, in pottery glaze, translucent layer that coats pottery to give the surface a finish or afford a ground for decorative painting. Glazes—transparent, white, or colored—are fired on the clay. of Rio Mesa pushes her to be faster in the water. Bultema says having someone to swim with helps her improve. ``It's awfully hard to swim on your own,'' said CCAT coach Steve Reardon. ``It's easier to swim better when you have someone pushing you. ``Right now, it's just a mental battle for her. When you miss cuts by that little, it just becomes something you have to fight through. It's just a matter of doing everything right in the same race. I'm confident that once she gets past that, she'll improve even more.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Westlake swimmer Sarah Bultema has her sights on qualifying for the Junior Nationals. Gus Ruelas/Staff photographer |
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