SLIPPERY ROCK — The Slippery Rock Eels needed a coach.

Robin Plank has had six daughters swimming in the youth club program, dating back to 2009. She was a competitive swimmer herself at Seneca Valley High School and Washington & Jefferson College.

But in terms of the sport, the 1995 SV graduate admitted that “I was far removed from it” before becoming an assistant coach under Brian Belowich with the Eels last year.

Belowich resigned due to a business opportunity at the end of last season and Plank — a family physician in Slippery Rock — stepped up to fill the void.

“This is like a full-time job,” Plank said. “I knew I couldn’t do it alone. I called up Kyle (assistant coach Herron), who also has kids in the program, and asked if he’d help me out. He was more than willing.

“Kyle is big on training and technique. I like where we’re taking this program.”

That is in a successful direction.

The Eels have 100 open swimmers and 26 in the USA Swimming program. They draw kids from the Slippery Rock, Moniteau, Grove City and Mercer school districts, among others.

Herron swam for the Masters Swim Club in Grove City and has done triathlons. He has two daughters on the Eels team.

“We train our swimmers a number of different ways,” Herron said. “We work with a yoga instructor. We do a strength program that I believe gives our kids an edge in stamina as well as power in the water.

“We work on strengthening muscles not only in the shoulder and back, but the quads, hamstring and chest. We do a lot of cardio work as well.”

The results are showing.

The Eels had 14 swimmers participate in the USA Silver Championship meet recently at West Allegheny High School and every one posted at least one personal-best time. Cora Plank won the 200-yard individual medley, 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle.

Avery Grossman won the 50-yard breaststroke and 100 individual medley, Kendall Krenn the 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle, Raely FaJohn the 50 freestyle, Aubrey Herron the 100 freestyle. Other top-three finishers from that meet were Natalie Double, Season Grant, Mollie Massella and Anna Plank.

The 10-under 200 medley and 200 freestyle relay unit of Krenn, Grossman, Herron and Sophia Wozniak won those events.

“Bob Miller (West Allegheny coach) was one of my age group coaches at Seneca Valley and told me how impressed he was with our team,” Plank said. “That meant the world to me.”

The Eels also competed in the USA Swimming Junior Olympics at the University of Pittsburgh earlier this month. They had 14 swimmers qualify for that event.

Natalie Carlantonio, a Slippery Rock freshman who recovered from a hip injury earlier this season, reached the finals in the 200 freestyle, 100 free, 500 free, 100 back and 200 back. She broke her own program record in the 200 free, swimming a 2:00.48.

Massella broke the team’s 100 butterfly record with a 1:05.13. She also made the finals in the 200 free and 50 butterfly. Other finalists were Aubrey Herron, Grossman and Connor Wallace.

The 10-under 400 free relay team of Grossman, Wozniak, Krenn and Herron took third place in the meet.

The Eels were 18th out of 39 teams. More than 600 swimmers were at the Junior Olympics and Slippery Rock’s 14 swimmers went up against teams with 50 or more swimmers.

“All of our kids are very dedicated,” Plank said. “Our upper level swimmers practice six days a week for two to three hours.”

The team practices in the Morrow Field House pool at Slippery Rock University.

“The rental charge we pay there is nominal and we have a lot of corporate sponsorship that allows us to take in swimmers who otherwise could not afford the fees,” Plank said.

Herron said the support the team gets at meets “is phenomenal. It’s a learning environment and the kids are thriving in that culture.

“The kids have shown definite improvement this year. That’s only going to continue.”