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11/06/2019 11:00 PMCamryn Lendroth joined the East Haven-Wilbur Cross girls’ swimming team last year and has been a hard-working member of the Yellowjackets ever since. Camryn started taking swim lessons at a young age, then took a break from the sport. She decided to get back in the pool as a freshman and is now enjoying her sophomore season with the squad.
“I missed it. I always liked swimming, and it’s always been one of my favorite sports,” says Camryn. “At first, I was kind of nervous, but once I got to know everyone, they made it a lot better.”
Head Coach Leanne Boisvert says that Camryn brings a great attitude to the Yellowjackets. Boisvert believes that Camryn’s demeanor has a positive impact on everyone at both meets and practices.
“Camryn is one part sense of humor for everyone, so she’s comedic relief, but she’s also right there making sure she’s cheering on her teammates,” Boisvert says. “She makes sure her teammates are getting the best times possible by encouraging everyone every step of the way.”
Camryn likes to lighten the mood by bringing a little levity to the pool. Camryn views all of her teammates as her family and wants to make sure that everyone is having a good time.
“I don’t think I’m funny. I just hate when people are in a bad mood. I wouldn’t want to be in a bad mood when I’m swimming, so I’ll mess around with my friends,” Camryn says. “I just like to have fun because, if you want to be there, you want to have fun. I don’t want to go there and not have fun. I feel like if I put work in and I’m having fun, I’ll want to go all the time.”
Camryn was exclusively a freestyle swimmer as a freshman. This year, Camryn been swimming the 200 freestyle, the 500 freestyle, and the 100 backstroke, in addition to the 200 medley relay and the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. She can also swim the 100 butterfly.
“In the last year, Camryn has become a swimmer I can put into most of the events if needed,” says Coach Boisvert. “She’s really a universal swimmer for me at this point.”
While Camryn really likes swimming the 500 freestyle, she feels comfortable competing in every freestyle event. By working with Coach Boisvert, Camryn has learned how to fix any technical errors that arise during the season.
“I feel like freestyle is the first one everybody learns, and it’s the easiest to understand what you have to fix,” says Camryn. “Coach makes us do sets where we work on our technique.”
The Yellowjackets finished their regular season with two wins, including a victory in their final meet last week. Camryn feels the important thing is that everyone’s times have been dropping throughout the campaign.
“Whether we win or lose, it’s good to be with them. We’re OK taking the loss as long as we’re all having fun,” Camryn says. “The energy is always exciting, and we all push each other to get to our accomplishments. As long as we’re working our hardest, we’re OK.”
With 18 swimmers on the roster, Camryn would like to see some new athletes come out for the Yellowjackets to help them increase their win total next year. Camryn wants more people to enjoy the experience of competing for a team that has excellent chemistry.
“It’s really fun,” says Camryn. “You’re always close with everyone on our team, because we’re a family.”
Camryn and Yellowjackets are competing at the SCC Championship this week. Camryn is looking to break the seven-minute barrier in the 500 freestyle when she swims in SCCs. Currently, her top time in the event is a 7:09.79.
“My final goal for this year is to drop my time in the 500 at SCCs,” Camryn says. “I want to have a better time to set for next year.”