Swimming a contact sport?

Most people wouldn't think that high school swimming could be a contact sport, but it has been known to happen, particularly before big meets when 100's of swimmers are in the pool for warm-ups.

Such was the case Friday night at Central York, when prior to the 2012 YAIAA swimming championships Northeastern senior Kathryn Deebel swam into the foot of one of her teammates.

Amazingly, Deebel said the contact didn't hurt and she was unaware that anything was wrong until one of her friends said, "Oh my God," and pulled her to the side of the pool.

Deebel suffered a nasty cut below her right eye that affected the tear duct of that eye, although the blood wasn't the biggest concern. YAIAA meet trainer Sharon Hunt of York Suburban did a terrific job getting the wound taped up, however the cut was right where Deebel's goggles fit.

So Deebel, a first-year varsity swimmer, ended up with gauze filling the goggle of her right eye blocking her vision as she swam a leg on the Bobcats medley relay team. Her one-eye swim produced a personal-best breaststroke by two seconds.

"I was so excited," she said of her swim. "I think it was because I couldn't see the competition. I could barely see the T at the bottom of the pool."

However, her challenges weren't done. When she jumped in for her leg of the 200 free relay, her goggles failed and water filled her left eye. Her nearly blind swim - the last of her high school career - produced another personal best split.