A couple of years ago, Dalton Dolphins swimmer Romina Mendoza’s best race was the butterfly. These days, she’s making big contributions in the freestyle and breaststroke.
But regardless of the stroke, the length of the swim or the setting — meet day or just another practice, of which there are many for the 12-year-old Mendoza — her coaches have come to expect an all-out effort. That, more than anything, is what makes her exceptional in the eyes of Dolphins coach Charles Todd.
“What I like about her is that she’s real competitive,” Todd said during Monday’s meet against Stuart Heights. “She gets out and races and you can’t really teach that. It’s kind of within.”
As Mendoza’s head coach for the year-round Carpet Capital Aquatics Club as well as at Dalton Middle, where she’ll be a seventh rader this year, Todd has seen the young swimmer in several settings and been impressed with her commitment and progress.
So has CCAC and Dolphins assistant Olga Davis, who oversees the 11-12 age division for the Dolphins and the CCAC’s Makos.
“There are talented swimmers that kind of pop up and just appear,” Davis said. “And there are swimmers that become successful by working, and she’s one of those. Never complains. Always there. Works hard. She has a shy personality but an aggressive nature in swimming. Slowly but successfully, she’s getting there.”
Mendoza has been swimming for five years and isn’t the only one in her family who knows her way around a pool — older sister Sofia graduated from Dalton High this year and is now serving as an assistant for the Makos and Dolphins. But the younger Mendoza has made her own name with leadership by example that’s hard for other to miss.
“It makes my job so much easier,” Davis said.
But with a powerful kick that makes her speedier underwater than at the surface, Davis said, Mendoza’s value goes beyond being a disciplined student who listens to her coaches.
Until Monday’s meet, which Dalton lost 432-378, Mendoza had been routinely racking up first places in all her events and was generally good for at least 15 points each meet. A bit fatigued this time around, she had to settle for second most of the night against Stuart Heights and finished with just 10 points.
As for Mendoza, she has no grand explanation for why she’s generally able to give her best effort in races — only a simple one that sums up her attitude nicely.
“I just don’t like people beating me,” Mendoza said. “Of course, there are going to be faster girls, but I’m going to push myself, too.”
Mendoza’s participation in year-round swimming means she has become familiar with the routine of “doubles,” twice-a-day practices three times a week that are designed to give those old enough and willing enough a chance to push themselves to another level. As in a meet, she knows how to give her best then, too.
“It’s a very demanding sport and I like challenges,” she said. “When I was little, I wouldn’t want to get out of the water because it was so much fun. It still is.”
The Dolphins, who are now 2-2 in Chattanooga Area Swim League competition this summer, return to action next week with a pair of home meets. They’ll host Cleveland on Monday and Fort Oglethorpe on Thursday with 5:30 p.m. starts.
Recreation
Related Photos
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Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen Romina Mendoza, in white cap, is known to her coaches as a reliable member of the Dalton Dolphins both for the points she scores at their meets twice a week as well as her attitude when it’s time to polish her technique in the practice pool.
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Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen Romina Mendoza swims for the Dalton Dolphins, Carpet Capital Aquatics Club and Dalton Middle School.
Discussion
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June 22, 2010
Dolphins' Mendoza has motor that keeps on going
- Recreation
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Week 5 youth baseball and softball results for DPRD, WCPRD
The Dalton Parks and Recreation Department and Whitfield County Parks and Recreation Department finished their youth baseball and softball league regular seasons with a fifth week of games.
Continued ... - Whitfield girls finish second in state hoops
- DPRD youth basketball results
- Youth basketball results
- WCPRD Week 6 youth basketball results
- Jan 16, 2012
- DPRD, WCPRD youth basketball results
- Dec 29, 2011
- WCPRD youth basketball results for Dec. 10-17
- Dec 12, 2011
- WCPRD basketball results
- Dec 7, 2011
- WCPRD youth basketball results
- Nov 25, 2011
- Whitfield teams are runners-up in GRPA District 5
- Nov 16, 2011
- All-star football begins
- Nov 15, 2011
- Awards a reflection of DPRD’s teamwork
- Nov 8, 2011
- Varnell crowns champs
- Oct 26, 2011
- Champs crowned
- Oct 24, 2011
- WCPRD football youth bowls results
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Week 5 youth baseball and softball results for DPRD, WCPRD
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