Seahorses' Feingold an instant hit

Updated: March 23, 2011 3:48PM

Some things in life simply aren't planned.

For instance, although Julie Feingold at one time held up to five Munster High School swimming records, she didn't expect to pursue the girls coaching job when it opened.

"That wasn't my plan to come back as a coach," said Feingold, the 2011 Post-Tribune Girls Swimming Coach of the Year. "I think some things happen for a reason, and this was a good reason that things panned out the way that they did."

After strong careers at Munster (where she still has records in the 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley) and the University of Iowa (where she was a full scholarship recipient and swam the 100 and 200 breaststrokes and 200 and 400 IM), Feingold recently moved back to Munster after graduating from college last May.

Then, with months of practice behind the team, coach Terry Specyal had to leave his position in early November. Specyal, who left for helicopter training with the National Guard, recommended Feingold as his replacement.

"I had done coaching with the Munster Swim Club when I was home from college, but, other than that, I had never been anywhere near to (being the) head coach of 47 girls," Feingold said. "It was a big responsibility for me to take on."

How big?

For starters, Munster has a rich swimming tradition that includes 23 sectional titles (fourth all-time) and three state championships. The Seahorses were coming off a banner year in 2010, when the team finished third at state and Specyal was named P-T Coach of the Year.

Some big names graduated, fueling speculation that Munster might be rebuilding And, of course, it was Feingold's first season as a high school coach.

"I had people telling me they didn't think we would finish first in sectionals," Feingold said.

Amid all the pressure, Feingold's first-year results are impressive.

Not only did Munster finish 11-2 in dual meets (with the only loss locally coming to fourth-ranked Chesterton), but the Seahorses won 391-321 over Lake Central at the Crown Point Sectional.

Then, Munster cracked the top 10 at the state meet, finishing seventh, with four finishers in the top eight.

"Once we won, when I scored that meet out, we were only supposed to win by 12 points, which was nothing," Feingold said about the sectional. "And once we won by 70 points, that was just the defining moment of, ‘See what we can do?' "

Although practice surely is a component to success, Feingold said a big key was having fun.

"Swimming has to be fun at the end of the day; otherwise, doing that many miles of swimming is not going to be fun," Feingold said.

To junior Brittany Gilbert, who placed 10th in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke, having an experienced swimmer helped. During practice, Feingold often swam with the girls and watched their strokes underwater.

"She pushes us more than any other coach; she really motivates us to work harder," Gilbert said. "Just because she's been through everything. She's just out of a college and she was a Munster swimmer, too, so she's been through all of it."

Munster athletic director Mike Smith felt lucky to have hired Feingold, especially given the circumstances.

"I felt very fortunate; a lot of schools in that situation wouldn't have the opportunity to find somebody as high-quality as Julie," he said.

Although Specyal still will be gone next season, it is uncertain if Feingold will be the coach. The 2006 Munster High graduate is the head coach of the seniors group (15 and older) of the Munster Swim Club.

"My only response is that no matter what, I'll be a part of their swimming lives" Feingold said. "I look at these girls as 47 of my little sisters, and I only want to do what's best for them."

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