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Devlin Francis ‘15 | Staff Writer
We start every season just like we start every race, we dive in.
This season, the boys swim team shares similar expectations to last year’s team. And the team before that. And the team before that. And that one, too.
Our expectations are practically the same as every team since 1999. Since then, South has won the MAC Red conference 13 consecutive times.
We expect to not only win the MAC Red division meet, and the championship meet between all MAC Red teams, but to go undefeated in conference meets, finish Top 10 at states, and hopefully improve from last year’s 8th place finish.
Just like the diversity of the team, goals also vary from swimmer to swimmer. A common individual goal is to earn a varsity letter. It is a substantial goal, shared by practically the entire team. Another goal shared by almost everyone is to post their fastest times in a race, and improve by the season’s end.
Among more experienced underclassmen, goals might be something like finishing in the Top 12 in a race at the division meet or even one upping that by finishing in the Top 6 and earning the title of All-Conference.
A few swimmers, like myself, hope to finish in the Top 8 and earn the elite title of All-State.
Others might even dream of doing better than that and finishing in the Top 3, or even being state champions.
As a freshman last year, I swam in the maximum two individual events and two relays. I didn’t make it into the finals in my individual events, but I did on both of my relay teams. In one of them, we finished in the Top 16, at 11th place.
The other relay we finished 6th overall, and as a freshman I became All-State, and got a picture on the wall in the swimming building. I was content with that, last year.
This year, I’m hungrier. So are the other potential All-State swimmers at South.
Individually, I hope to finish in the Top 8 in two individual events. More than almost anything else, I’d love to get another picture or two on the wall by the pool, preferably for an individual event this time.
Relay wise, goals and expectations reach the ceiling. This season, we should have two great relays that could very well finish anywhere in the Top 3 at States. Or even win it all.
Those relays could very well break school records. Head Coach Eric Gunderson has expressed more than once that he wants my relay team to break the 400 yard freestyle school record of 3:10.08 set in 2010.
But the most important thing is team’s goals. We will do anything to achieve those goals and continue the legacy of previous teams.
