Wingfield experiences metamorphosis as a freshman

Brookville freshman Amber Wingfield emerged as a natural breaststroke swimmer when she started competing with the Lynchburg YMCA team at the age of 8.

She was equally but not quite as strong in the other three strokes, making her a talented 200 IM swimmer. Not until this year did she flourish in any one stroke to the extent that she has in the breast.

“This was a breakthrough year for her in the butterfly,” Lynchburg YMCA coach T.J. Liston said, noting at the YMCA Nationals last month in Florida she qualified in the 100 and 200 butterfly for the U.S. national championships, set for December near Seattle. “There’s not a faster short course meet this year. It’s slightly slower than the Olympic Trials.”

Wingfield, The News & Advance All-Area girls swimmer of the year, finished third in both the 100 breast (1:06.99) and the 100 fly (58.18) to lead the Bees to a 10th-place team finish at the Feb. 28 Group AA state championship meet at Virginia’s Fitness and Aquatic Center.

She also posted the area’s fastest high school times in the 50 freestyle (25.68), 100 freestyle (57.00) and 200 IM (2:14.98), but the breast and butterfly are her bread and butter.

“The butterfly’s my favorite,” Wingfield said. “I’ll train butterfly and breast stroke, but I think butterfly will be my best stroke and fastest.”

After breaking the one-minute mark in the 100 fly for the first time at the state meet, she took nearly two more seconds off that pace to place 11th in 56.4 seconds at the Y-National meet in April.

“Butterfly’s always kind of been there, but I haven’t excelled until this past year,” said Wingfield, who credits Liston as well as Brookville coach Hank Reed for her development. “(Liston) noticed at the beginning of the year that my butterfly was starting to improve so he worked with me a lot to get me to this level.”

As a freshman, she broke Brookville school records in the 100 breast, 100 fly and 200 IM, the last two set by Lauren Hines as a sophomore two seasons ago.

“It’s quite the accomplishment to know that you’ve done something like that,” Wingfield said.

Last year, Jefferson Forest’s Susanna White and Travis Stauder qualified for the national championships and so far this year, White and Wingfield are the only two to make the cut.

“I’m sure it’ll be exciting and it’ll be a lot to get used to, but that’s what you need if you are to continue to excel,” said Wingfield, who is targeting a potential Olympic bid for London in 2012, the year she will graduate from Brookville. “I’ll go into (the national meet) seeded low, but hopefully, I’ll be able to work my way up close to finals. I’ll have the next two years to prepare and come the third year, I’ll have the Olympic Trials coming up so that will be my next goal then.”

She thrives in both the intense competitive atmosphere of Y-national meets and the pressure-free environment of swimming for her high school team in the Seminole District.

“At Brookville, being my first year, it’s competitive, but it’s the fun of swimming that comes out,” Wingfield said. “With LY, it’s also fun, but you’re there to compete. We are always training or having meets. It takes a lot of time and dedication.”

As an only child, she enjoys not only the thrill of victory, but also the sense of family and teamwork swimming fosters.

“I try to stay focused and encourage my teammates, support them,” Wingfield said. “I realize it’s not just an individual sport, it’s also a team sport and I want them to excel as much as I want to.”

She leans on her mom, Melissa Gentry, a former Lynchburg YMCA swimmer herself, more than anyone else.

“My mom is definitely my No. 1 supporter,” Wingfield said. “She’s always been there, and has always helped me out at meets. She got me into it and has been there throughout it and is still there just pushing me as hard as she ever has, in a good way.”

At the tender age of 15, she still has plenty of untapped potential.

“Hopefully I have not (peaked yet),” she said. “I’m going to do whatever it takes to get to be my best.”