‘It will be weird without her’

WINNETKA – Maggie Wike greeted her 400 freestyle team with a round of high fives after Friday’s girls state swimming preliminaries.

The entire group of Golden Warriors who made the trek to New Trier High School huddled around their coach for a few moments.

Then Wike talked with Hannah Munson and Sarah Wolber, putting each swimmer’s day in perspective.

Wike then met with Allie Yemm, who had no more yards left as a prep swimmer. She outlined in general what Yemm is to expect in her swimming future.

A coach never stops coaching.

Except Wike is stopping, after six seasons. Friday’s preliminaries were her last hours as Sterling girls coach.

Toss in her years as ringleader of the Sterling Stingrays, and she’s coached most of these girls since they were barely old enough to walk.

“It’s going to be so weird not having her coach us,” Munson said. “Yet, we know that she’s always going to be here rooting us on.”

Wike spent the better part of Saturday’s meet behind the diving board ladder on Lane 2.

From there, she cheered swimmers from Byron, Newman, Moline, Morrison, Rock Island and so on.

If they were from northwest Illinois, she had a cheer and made sure her Warriors joined in.

“She’s done so much for swimming in our area,” Newman coach Gary Miller said. “If she wasn’t around, I wouldn’t be here for sure. All the kids love her, it’s just a blessing what’s she’s done for swimming.”

“Her influence extends out beyond Sterling. She’s drawn so many in with the Stingrays.”

That’s true, even for those who don’t swim and don’t coach.

When I started working for Sauk Valley Newspapers five years ago, the only thing that I knew about swimming was that I couldn’t do it.

I still can’t swim. But I know a little know about starts and turns and tapers and so on.

Most of that comes from standing near Maggie during meets, from listening and from watching.

She’s been a great help, and I have to agree with Munson.

It will be weird not to see her on the deck.