The whistle blows and the players run onto the field. Not too far away, the same tone rings, and swimmers dive into the water. For most people, these sports may seem just like football and swimming, but for Michael and Madeline Posse, they’re far more.
Since they began their respective sports, Michael and Madeline have been dominating. As just a freshman, Michael was placed on the varsity football team after working out with a high school team previously throughout middle school, while also playing for his own middle school.
“[Working out with a high school team] was intense,” Michael said. “Football was real big down there.”
Michael and Madeline, who moved to North Carolina last year from Georgia, find that some of the athletics are quite different than what they had been used to.
“It’s more serious [in Georgia],” Michael said. “[It’s] much more competitive.”
Madeline, however, had a different experience.
“In Georgia I was on a very small team where I was the fastest and oldest swimmer,” Madeline said. “I enjoy swimming here a lot, and I am very thankful for the team and coaches I have. They spend a lot of time making sure I have what I need to get better, and I feel like I am being prepared to where I can hopefully swim in college.”
Michael, one of the only freshman on the varsity football team, has played quite a bit this season.
“He’s a young kid with good enthusiasm,” varsity football coach Brian Harrington said. “He is very coachable and very athletic.”
The varsity football team agrees.
“He’s a really good quarterback,” senior Gabe Chavez said.
Coach Harrington says Michael seemed like an athlete as soon as he stepped on the field.
“In one play there was a pass [where Michael] rolled out in a third-down situation, and he took a sack,” Harrington said. “So the coach told him in that situation to throw the ball away. The next time there was a pass situation, he rolled out and threw the ball away. It’s hard to get kids to learn that fast in that type of situation.”
Madeline, a junior, has been swimming since she was 8.
“I like having a goal and working towards it,” Madeline says. “It’s hard work, but it feels good after a long practice.”
So far in her 9-year swimming career, she has had many successes, winning first in the 50 free and first in the 500 free her freshman year in Georgia, and third in the 50 free and 500 free her sophomore year at regionals on Northwood’s swim team.
“She was an awesome contributor to our team,” former swim team coach Lyn Smith said. “She’s already joined in and doing clubs, team swimming and has gelled with the team really well.”
Amanda Montgomery, a senior and captain of the swim team, believes Madeline to be a great addition.
“She’s a really great asset to the team,” Montgomery said. “She’s very dedicated and really helps us out with our relays.”
While this school has a less competitive environment than the siblings are used to, Madeline believes that the Northwood Athletics Department has a great support system for its athletes. Michael and Madeline continue to excel and support one another in all of their athletic endeavors.
– By Emma Pollard
