MALST Hires New Assistant Coach

The Milbank Area Lions Swim Team (MALST) welcomes Aarron Schuelke to its coaching staff for the 2017 season. He will serve as the assistant coach. Jodi Street is beginning her second season as coach.

“I am very excited that Aarron has been hired as my assistant this season,” stated Street. “He has many years of experience in swimming and working with the youth. I think he will be a great asset to our team.”

Aarron was a member of MALST for 12 years. He was also employed as a lifeguard and swim lesson instructor throughout high school and last year. Aarron has also been serving as a substitute for K-12 grades, and served as a chaperone and assistant to the Special Olympics team from Milbank.

There are 63 swimmers registered for the 2017 season. “Many years ago, Milbank had 70-80 participants,” Street said. “That number slowly declined to 45-50. Last year, we saw an increase in swimmers to nearly 60. We hope that number continues to rise.” There are also 14 swimmers ranging from 5 to 14 that will experience MALST for the first time this year.

Leading the team, will be senior swimmers Kerissa DeBoer, Brooke Fraasch, Presley Peschong, and Clare Van Dover. Last year, 15 swimmers qualified for the State A swim meet. “This year, I’d like to be in the 20s” said Street. “The state A’s are in Aberdeen, so it would be great to have a big state team there this season.”

Year-round swimmers continue to provide top competition for the MALST athletes. “As far as seasonal teams, Webster will be our biggest competitor,” Street stated. “They swim the same length of season, in the same size pool, but have a larger team. We need to swim stronger and better in all of our events to overcome our team size difference. This is where a swimmer’s stroke technique can play a huge role.”