SYNC AND SWIM : San Diego Plays Host to Junior Championships in Sport That Has Grown Nationally, Locally

As the sequined star of the seas in the 1940s, Esther Williams enthusiastically swam her way through water ballet sequences in memorable movies such as “Neptune’s Daughter,” and “Million Dollar Mermaid.”

Then, a 40-year lapse. Until synchronized swimming premiered at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, and Americans took both the solo and duet golds, Williams--through her movie and World’s Fair performances--was the only well-known participant in an endeavor that is still fighting for recognition but has finally come off the society pages and into the sports section.

“It’s changed a lot because of the Olympics,” said Kathy Egoscue, mother of three synchronized swimmers. “We’ve come a long way since (Williams). I could never understand why (synchro) would get in the society page and not sports. It’s a sport.”

San Diego, by holding the Junior National Outdoor Synchronized Swimming Championships through Sunday at the Allied Gardens city pool, is doing its share to keep the sport moving forward--and away from debutantes debuts. It is the first time San Diego has been the site of a major meet since United States Synchronized Swimming was organized in 1978.

“Meets of this caliber will help areas like San Diego become more familiar with the sport,” said Betty Watanabe, USSS executive director. “The success of the competition depends on support and how much the local clubs take responsibility.”

In this case, the brunt of that responsibility belongs to the Sweetwater Dolphins and Julie Howell, the club’s creator and coach.

“Certainly we’re hoping this meet will bring some notoriety to the sport, and make it more visible to San Diegans who have never seen it, except on TV,” Howell said. “It’s an art form, it’s not boring.”

In 12 years, Howell has turned what she began as a homeowner association’s summer class into a team that is among the best in the country. After its third annual six-week summer program, the Rancho San Diego Homeowner’s Assn. asked Howell if she would start a team. The Sweetwater club now has 38 girls, including 16 in the 10-under division and six each in the 11-12 and 13-14 groups.

The Dolphins are the only local team that qualified swimmers for this meet. There are 278 participants representing 26 teams from the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico. They are swimming in five divisions: solo, duet, trio, team and figures. All swimmers must compete in figures, which count as much as 55% of the athletes’ final score.

San Diego is represented by five Dolphins: duets Laurie McClelland and Megan Egoscue and Tracy Egoscue and Kindahl Hunter and the trio of Tracy Egoscue and sisters Brooke and Kindahl Hunter. All are ranked in the top 10 nationally among synchronized swimmers.

The Dolphins have developed a national reputation--two years ago their team performance was second in a national meet behind college champions Ohio State--and are considered among the top five teams in the county. But the majority of talent is concentrated to the north. The Santa Clara and Walnut Creek clubs are the finest in the land.

“People began to take notice of us two years ago,” Howell said. “And we began to do better and better in national meets.”

The Dolphins have suffered setbacks in their program as swimmers have changed clubs. Their biggest loss was the departure of national team member Margo Thien, who left for Walnut Creek.

“The girls get to feel that the only way they can get on the national team is if they go to Walnut Creek,” Howell said. “If people wouldn’t leave, we’d be a powerhouse, too.”

Howell sees San Diego as hesitant to commit to competitive synchronized swimming. She cites the decline of the once dominant Chula Vista’s Dolphinettes, San Diego’s oldest program, and the La Mesa Sea Sprints.

Corrie Egoscue, the third of Kathy Egoscue’s synchronized swimming daughters, was the coach of the Sea Sprints until this year, when she went to work for her father and the team had to move out of the competitive realm and back into club status.

“It’s hard to start a club,” Howell said, “and even harder to get them into the competitive arena. With experienced coaches and money, things could be different. I’m hoping this meet will encourage San Diego to develop the sport within the city.”

But to do that, it will have to become a sport in which everyone, not just girls from wealthy families, can participate.

“We’re not rich,” said Kathy Egoscue, “we just made a lot of sacrifices so they could compete. But if it’s not going to be a rich kids’ sport, we have to find a way for people to afford it.”

Other roadblocks are limited pool access and the lack of qualified coaching.

Sweetwater outgrew its Rancho San Diego home pool and now must divide its practice time between Monte Vista and Valhalla high schools.

And with a limited pool of experienced swimmers, coaches are far and few between. “It’s one of our biggest problems,” Kathy Egoscue said.

Why then, have seven of Howell’s eight 15-18 team synchro members been swimming together for seven years?

McClelland, 15, is a sophomore at Our Lady of Peace High School and Sweetwater’s top performer. She recently finished second in the 13-14 age group solo division at the Age Group Indoor Nationals in Tonawanda, N.Y.

“You can have your personality,” McClelland said. “It gives me a chance to show people who I really am. Everyone’s different out there in the water. Me, I’m more open. If I feel sad, I show it. I like that, the expression.”

And she enjoys the attention she gets. “I like that people watch me,” she said. “I like the compliments.”

For Tracy Egoscue, who will attend UC Santa Barbara in the fall, synchronized swimming has helped her develop in varying ways.

“It’s given me discipline, health, sunshine, good laughs, a sense of confidence and I know I can hold my breath,” she said.

Tracy’s duet partner, Kindahl Hunter, is headed for UC San Diego. She said she likes the finished product that emerges from hours and hours of practice.

“I like coming out at the end of practice better than when you got in,” Hunter said.

Said Kathy Egoscue: “They’re dealing with, at a young age, being judged and failing. That’s what life’s all about. Life’s not fair, and they learn that early.”

Howell said it is a sport that requires all of one’s attention and an unmerciful time commitment.

“Very few girls have the ability to this and anything else,” Howell said. “It requires lots of time and attention. Some girls develop burnout. Once they get into high school, the desire to win is lessened by the attraction of other sports and activities.”

Howell said that many speed swimmers come to her with a desire to turn a tub (the name of a maneuver) but when they discover the rigorous physical demands of the sport, they return to speed.

“A lot will start, then they discover it’s too hard, and they’ll go back to competitive swimming,” Howell said.

Synchronized swimmers make it look so easy, but even the easiest trick can be agonizing.

“Most people wouldn’t even be able to do a ballet leg,” Howell said of the first thing a synchronized swimmer learns.

Tracy Egoscue, who finished second in the Grossmont League swimming championship in the breast stroke, said synchronized swimming is different from speed swimming in a number of ways.

“In speed swimming,” she said, “you swim back and forth, fast. In synchro, you have to know where everyone else is, you have to know how far away to stay from other swimmers, you have to listen to the music, there’s just so much that happens at once.”

Said McClelland: “I wish people would understand that it’s as hard or harder than other sports. I’ve played volleyball and soccer, and this is so hard. There’s so much body control. Mentally, when you’ve been underwater for 15 seconds and have to stay another 20, you have to tell yourself you can finish.”

That’s not all McClelland has been telling herself. She said her goal is to make the national team. Howell thinks she can accomplish that and more.

“Laurie definitely has the potential to be a Olympic caliber swimmer,” Howell said. “She has the drive and dedication. She’s very focused.”

McClelland has been a member of the Dolphins for 10 years and is the youngest swimmer named to compete in the Olympic Sports Festival this month in Oklahoma City.

“She sets goals,” Howell said. “I have to set them for the other girls her age but not Laurie. She is goal-oriented and very mature for her age.”