dropping time to make state

Question
Hi my name is stace, I currently a senior at south haven high school. I swim the 200 and 500. My times are as followed 2.01 in the 200 5.32 in the 500 25.0 in the 50 and 55.3 in the 100. I been training year around with USA swimming and such. But here is the thing i haven't dropped any time in any of those events in fact i am actually slower. I train harder than any body on the team. Yet i haven't dropped a single second. I been trying to make state cuts yet i can even drop a single second in the 500. I so frustrated to the point i am depressed. I just need to know what to do. My coach has been working on lengthen out my stroke but i still can't seem to go faster.

Answer
Stace-
If you have been training hard the entire season, and have been competing without resting for meets than your times will probably be stable, if not a little slow.  Don't get discouraged, when you rest for your main "qualifying" meet you should drop time.  It's hard to swim fast if you are in the middle of a "building" period.
Have a talk with your coach(es) and discuss when you are going to rest to be able to qualify.
As for lenthening your stroke, I agree, you want to be able to get maximum distance per stroke to increase endurance and speed, especially in your longer events.  Also work on good turns and good streamlines out of your turns, this also saves energy to let you go faster and it doesn't hurt your shorter events either.
Trust your coaches and trust that you are doing the right thing by training as hard as you do.
Good Luck,
George