Felix Comes Back to Pace El Dorado’s Swim Team

El Dorado High School’s Corry Felix walked away from competitive swimming, but she’s back. And the time off appears to have helped.

Nine months ago, Felix, The Times’ Athlete of the Week, walked out on swimming. She had been in age-group competition since she was 9 and got tired of it. Swimming in the wake of Janet Evans for the first three years didn’t help, either.

Her mother, Sherri Felix, understood: “Who wants to play wall tag the rest of their lives?”

Corry Felix said she does not intend to do that, but she was talked into swimming again this season by El Dorado Coach John Bowman.

Welcome back.

Saturday, she was the only girl swimmer to win two events at the El Dorado Invitational. This season, she has been beaten only twice in Empire League competition, despite swimming at various times in each of the individual events.

“This has been a good year,” Felix said. “I just figured that it’s my senior year and I’m going to go for it. I’ve only lost twice in league--(Los Alamitos’ Marci) Herron beat me by just .07 seconds in the 50 freestyle and (Los Alamitos’ Stacey) St. Martin beat me by one second.”

It’s been a good year indeed. Although she’ll probably swim the 50-yard free and the 200 free at the Southern Section preliminary meet May 10-11, Felix has qualifying times in every event except the 100 backstroke and the 100 breaststroke.

“She’s the strength of the team,” Bowman said. “We lean on her quite a bit.”

Felix also excels at water polo. She started as a sophomore on the El Dorado frosh-soph team and played one year of junior varsity before deciding to quit.

Felix was good enough to be selected to play on the 17-and-under girls’ national team that played Japan in Sacramento in December.

“I’ve had more fun playing water polo but I made more friends in swimming,” Felix said. “I still get bored with swimming in practice, but I tell myself it’s just two more weeks.”

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Corry Felix

El Dorado High School

* Position: Freestyle swimmer

* Height, Weight, Class: 6-0, 145, Senior.

* Last Week: Felix won the 50-yard freestyle and the 100 freestyle at Saturday’s El Dorado Invitational. She won the 100 butterfly and the 100 breaststroke in a dual meet with Loara Wednesday.

* Season: Felix, a sprint freestyler, has only lost twice in league competition. She has made the Southern Section qualifying time in every event except the 100 butterfly and the 100 breaststroke.