While making the podium in one of her two events was great, it wasn’t good enough. She wanted to podium
in two events.
After an intensive offseason schedule Sehmann found herself swimming in Canton again as a junior.
This time, her goal of two podiums was a reality.
Sehmann finished seventh in the Division I 100 and 200 freestyle, earning All-Ohio honors in both events
during the swim meet at the C.T. Branin Natatorium.
"I was really happy because it was my first time (getting the podium) in both events," Sehmann
said. "I wasn’t extremely happy with my times, but they were still pretty good."
Sehmann finished the 100 in 51.64 seconds and the 200 in 1.50.93, both season-best times. Last year, she
finished fifth in the 200 in 150.16, and she was ninth in the 500. Sehmann did not race the 100 at state
last year.
"She’s very good at any distance in all of the freestyle events. … She has a lot of events she can
choose from," BG coach Gary Layne said. "She kind of focuses on the 100, 200 and 500
(freestyles) and so our decision was which two of those three do we swim at the end of the year.
"This year, she opted to go with the 100 and 200, not really because of any state rankings or
placings, but that’s just what felt good to her at the time," he said.
Even with the success over the last two seasons, Sehmann knows that she needs to work even harder to
improve for the future.
"I just have to keep doing what I’m doing by training hard and pushing myself over the limit in
practice," she said.
With a goal of at least reaching the podium in two events again next year, and eventually swimming
collegiately, Sehmann will continue to swim through the winter and summer before next fall’s high school
season.
Her grueling, non-stop swim schedule includes events such as the Junior National Championships in Orlando
March 18-22.
"That’s a very important meet for her to once again get up and race people of that caliber,"
Layne said. "It’s important that we end the summer season at a high-level championship meet.
That’ll set her right up into her senior season."
Sehmann will continue to train in the pool and compete in numerous events through spring and summer
before completing a dry-land weight training session in August.
Among her scheduled swim meets are several events with USA Swimming.
"It’s really important because swimming against the highest competitors makes you feel like you need
to work super hard to get to that place," Sehmann said of competing in big meets. "It really
helps with my mental preparation to help me go as hard as I can every time."
The success in Sehmann’s high school career already makes a collegiate career look inevitable.
At this time she is contemplating the size of school she wants to attend after graduation in 2015.
"Her times right now will give her a lot of options," Layne said. "She’s in the process of
trying to decide which size of school. We’ll probably agree to make visits this fall."