Amber Logue and Michaela Krulee didn’t exactly have auspicious starts to their swimming careers. When asked about their first swimming memories, the two San Benito High sophomores described more of a nightmare than a dream.
“My first memory was it was really hard,” Logue said “I cried for a minute after I was done because I was very tired.”
Said Krulee: “When I first tried out at Rovella’s at (age) 6, they told me I had to come back in a couple of years because I didn’t know how to swim.”
Krulee and Logue didn’t let their less-than-impressive starts get in the way of excelling in the sport. The two are some of the many standouts on the girls team, which is having another solid season. Krulee’s best event is the 100 butterfly, but she also swims the 50 freestyle and 200 individual medley.
Logue’s best event is the 100 butterfly and 200 free. Both athletes are part of a couple of relay teams as well. In a 130-37 loss to league powerhouse Christopher on March 18, Krulee placed second in the 100 fly in 1 minute, 10.14 seconds. She also took third in the 200 individual medley in 2:36.48.
Logue took fourth in the 100 fly in 1:29.01 and fifth in the 200 free in 2:29.90. Both swimmers feel confident they can improve their times as the season goes along. As a freshman last year, Krulee came close to qualifying for the Central Coast Section Championships in the 100 fly.
Logue knows her times will go lower as her work ethic stays strong. Logue had good role models in older sisters Katie and Rachel, both of whom swam at San Benito.
“Katie especially was an inspiration to me,” Logue said. “She was a hard worker, and it showed me you had to work hard to get results.”
Logue never quit swimming after her first foray into the pool with San Benito Aquatics because her dad, Randy, didn’t let her. Randy, of course, is a former football and wrestling coach at San Benito High.
“I didn’t want to go back and swim after that day, but my dad made me,” she said. “After that, I started to like swimming more and more.”
Logue said she likes the coaching staff of Fred Latimore and assistants Woody Peterson and Leif Nordstrom.
“Leif comes to help us out and pushes us very hard,” she said.
Krulee and Logue are outstanding students, with both of them carrying a 4.1 GPA. Unlike a lot of teenagers, neither Krulee nor Logue are active on social media. Logue doesn’t even have a Facebook, Instagram or Twitter account. In fact, Logue just got her first smart phone last summer.
“My dad thinks technology is bad for people,” she said.
With the amount of time some people spend on their phones doing useless things, Randy has a point. Krulee, who is also a standout on the girls water polo team, is enjoying swimming more than ever. It took some time, but Krulee has found the right balance of work and play.
Krulee started swimming regularly at 8, but got burned out after five years. Krulee resumed swimming competitively two years ago, and she’s found a happy place in a sport she thrives in.
“Now I know how to balance swimming with a social life,” she said.
When Krulee is in the pool, a certain peace comes over her body. It’s a place she’s comfortable in, where nothing can bother her.
“It’s nice being out there (in your own lane),” she said. “When you’re swimming, it gives you time to think and be reflective.”
The Balers seem to be cohesive bunch, as Logue counts teammates Ceily Hepner and Catherine Nordstrom as two of her best friends. In a recent interview, Logue had positive comments about Nordstrom, who was several feet away.
“Oh yeah, she kills it,” Logue said, referring to Nordstrom’s 4.29 GPA. “It’s nice that a lot of us are friends and support each other everyday.”
