Boys’ swimming ends with top ten finishes at State

Team looks to improve for next season

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Ava Ashby

Junior Hayden Zheng swims the 200-yard individual medley during the boys’ swimming State meet Feb. 29. Zheng won the event with a time of 1:47.75.

Tobias Khabie and Ava Ashby

After boys’ swimming finished its season at State, coach Amanda Forsberg said she was pleased with the success the team had this year.

“I think it was one of our best years. We won the Conference and we were undefeated. We got second at Sections and got in the top 10 at State,” Forsberg said. “I really couldn’t ask for a much better season.”

The team ended the season finishing top 10 in State in every event the team participated in, as well as finishing fourth in the 200-yard medley and 6th in the 200-yard freestyle. Junior Hayden Zheng finished first in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley, according to Forsberg.

“It was the first time we finished in the top 10 since I’ve been here,” Forsberg said. 

Forsberg said coming into the meet, she expected Zheng and the relays all to place well in their respective races.

“I expected Hayden to win the 200 individual medley and the breast and I was hopeful that our relays could make the top eight,” Forsberg said.

According to senior and captain Will Mathews, he is confident next year’s team will continue improving.

“I think they are going to be so good. All the juniors are so fast, though I know the team is losing most of the backstroke swimmers, they are still going to do amazing,” Mathews said. “I am so proud of them and they are going to go crazy.”

I really couldn’t ask for a much better season.

— Amanda Forsberg

According to Zheng, the team will carry the energy created by the success of this season into next year. 

“We’re going to have a super strong team again next year and just keep our momentum going,” Zheng said.

Forsberg said the team will work during the off-season in order to maximize the teams’ full potential.

“We had a lot of underclassmen really step up this year and I think a lot of them are going to train in the off-season,” Forsberg said. “I’m hoping to maintain and have those guys come in faster and hope to get more people to State next year.”