HARDCORE: New coach is expected to transform the boys’ swim team.
By Martin Perina, Staff Writer
Poly has always been a formidable opponent to many schools in the swimming pool. Last year, Poly said farewell to Mark Cowell, the previous swim coach and a former physics teacher. Now, the school welcomes Lori Woodbeck as the new boys’ swim coach. Before coming to Poly, Woodbeck coached for ten years at Woodcrest Christian High School and one year at Corona High School. During her coaching career, she obtained a master’s degree in ‘training swimming.’ She decided to go back to school because, aside from deeply loving the sport, she wanted to provide the latest, top-notch, athlete-tested training to her current and future swimmers. As a very passionate coach, Woodbeck’s love for the sport and positive personality bring inspiration to her young athletes.
Grayson Cannon-Lass (11), a former swimmer of Woodbeck and now a Poly student and swimmer, enjoys her style of coaching and was thrilled to see her come to Poly. She was his coach during his freshman year at Woodcrest, and with her training, he qualified to compete on the senior boys’ relay team for CIF. Her training was strenuous and diverse; “practice was tough and always a rush, but it paid of,” Grayson said. “I’ve never experienced a practice like hers; every day we did something new and every day was a challenge.”
Now that Woodbeck is at Poly, swimmers can expect practice to take a new, more technical turn. Her coaching will bring a new edge to the team and hopefully lead them to victory this year and in the years to come.