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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – As is the case with most athletes, they want to peak during the postseason.
For Marshfield High School swimmer Aaron Scheets, he has peaked by leaps and bounds during the past two weeks and hopes it can carry over one more time when he competes at the WIAA State Boys Swimming Championships on Saturday at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium in Madison.
Scheets cut 3 seconds off his best time in the 100-yard backstroke at the Wisconsin Valley Conference Meet two weeks ago, coming in with a time of 56.65 seconds. He bested that again last Saturday at the WIAA Division 1 sectional at Hudson, finishing in 56.24 seconds to take third place. He was one of 18 extra qualifiers statewide in the event, and will race Saturday on the state’s biggest stage.
“It was kind of nerve-racking trying to repeat my performance from the week before at conference,” said Scheets, a junior who is making his first state meet appearance. “I took off three seconds that week and I didn’t know how it happened. It was kind of hard to think about how to do it again.
“It’s a relief to get there and be able to swim. Last week there was a lot of pressure to get there and swim that time again. Now I can just focus on swimming the race.”
Marshfield coach Faye Egger, whose son Riley was the last Tiger to qualify for the state meet three years ago, said Scheets has hit his stride.
“His training really kicked in at the conference meet,” Egger said. “I think up until then he had no concept. He wanted to go fast – he had no idea how fast he could produce this year. Good training and hard work has paid off.”
Egger praised Scheets’ all-around performance this year. He was a key member of the 400 freestyle relay team that finished second at the Wisconsin Valley Conference Meet and also swam in numerous other events, including the 200 individual medley, where he was fourth in the Valley.
However, it’s been in the backstroke that Scheets saw his biggest improvement, and that has catapulted him to the state meet.
“His 100 backstroke came in at a minute (late in the season), and he’s down to 56 seconds, so we’re very pleased with that, and I think he has a little bit more in him to go,” Egger said. “The kid is very, very dedicated. He’s a tremendous hard worker.”
Marshfield had one of its better team performances in a while this season, finishing with four dual meet wins and fourth at the WVC Meet to take third overall in the conference standings. That team success as helped drive Scheets, whether it’s during practice and trying to beat his teammates, or during meets.
“When you go to a meet and all of your teammates are placing well – like at conference, our relay placed really well and had some of the best individual races – it gets you pumped up for when you swim your own race,” Scheets said. “You’re swimming harder in practice when your racing your teammate in the lane next to you. You get a better workout and it helps in the long run.”