DARKE COUNTY — The 2012-13 winter sports season has begun and a number of Darke County athletes already are leaving their marks.
A pair of Darke County juniors are off to great starts to the season and have been named this week’s Daily Advocate athletes of the week.
This week’s Daily Advocate athletes of the week are Ansonia girls basketball player Catey Fischer and Greenville boys swimmer Zach Toman.
Fischer has been Ansonia’s go-to player this season. Coach Amber Short said the Lady Tiges are looking for Fischer to be a leader with he combination of talent and experience.
The Ansonia junior has played extremely well so far this season, Short said.
“She’s handling the ball. She’s rebounding,” the first year Ansonia coach said. “She gets in foul trouble every now and then, but that’s what we’re working on this year. I’m really proud of her because last game she had one foul.”
This past week against Newton and Parkway, Fischer averaged 15.5 points, 10 rebounds and 3.2 steals per game.
“She’s been doing really well,” Short said. “She works hard. I keep telling her every day that she can be better.”
Fischer is working on different things to make herself better, Short said. With her wide range of skills, the junior forward has a bright future in basketball and potentially could play college ball, the coach said.
“It’s going to benefit her if she wants to continue at the next level,” Short said.
Toman already has established himself as one of the top swimmers in Greenville and Darke County entering the season. He showed he’s one of the best in the region early in the season for the Green Wave.
Toman broke the pool record in the 50-yard breaststroke at Wright State with a time of 30.47, finishing first in the race.
The Greenville junior also finished second in the 50 freestyle and was part of the 200 medley relay team that finished fourth at Wright State.
Against Fort Recovery and St. Henry, Toman won the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:20.87 and won the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:08.35.
He also was part of the 200 medley relay squad that won with a time of 1:50.35 and was part of the 400 freestyle relay that won with a time of 4:01.78.