The boys swim team has set a lofty goal for themselves this year: to finish very high at the state meet. From the looks of it, the boys are well on their way. Six individual swimmers and three relay teams had already qualified for the state meet after only the first two meets of the season. At the time of print, results of the Shawnee Mission East Invitational Monday, Dec. 10 had not yet been reported.
The boys will be practicing hard over winter break to prepare themselves for meets against Lawrence/Olathe Northwest Jan. 8, Shawnee Mission East Jan. 10, Blue Valley Northwest Jan. 17, and Shawnee Mission North Jan. 22, the team’s senior night.

Carter Stokes

Q: How long have you been swimming?
A: I’ve been swimming for 8 years
Q: What’s your favorite stroke?
A: Back or freestyle
Q: What’s your favorite event?
A: I like the 100 free and the 4×100 free relay; basically there are 4 guys and everyone swims a 100 free as fast as they can. It’s fun because you get to work with a team
Q: How does it feel being considered a standout swimmer as a junior?
A: I feel honored, I wasn’t really expecting it. It’s nice to know that my teammates see me as a leader
Q: What’s your favorite thing about swimming?
A: Just the guys that swim, the bonds you form with them while doing a hard practice, or going out to eat afterwards. It’s just a fun time.
Q: What do you do for team bonding?
A: Eating is the thing. We go out to eat together, team dinners are fun, and every now and then we will all get together and hang out outside of swim team. It’s nice to bond with the guys.
Q: What’s your favorite pre-meet meal?
A: Just a bunch of pasta and carbs and bread and a little bit of salad, but mostly carbs.
Q: Do you have any other pre-meet rituals?
A: I usually shake my legs before I get on the block or jump in the water for backstroke but that’s about it. Nothing too rigid.
Q: What are your goals for yourself this season?
A: I’d like to make it on the state team. That’s my big goal.
Q: What are your goals for the team as a whole?
A: I’d like to see us win 5A state. I think we have a shot at it because the times are slower to go to state. We could get a lot of swimmers there and do well.
Q: What is it like having Joe on the team this year?
A: It’s fun. I get to beat him up and he gets to endure all that I had to endure when I was first starting out, but it’s nice. We get to bond more in the pool and outside of the pool.
Q: What is your [personal record] for your favorite event?
A: My 100-free PR I think is 56ish, and my 100-back is a 103 or 104.
Q: How did it feel when you achieved this PR?
A: I was really excited. It was at league last year, and I got all shaved-up and… Yeah… It was fun though. It was fun. Everyone swam well at that meet last year, I was glad I got the PR.

Nico Caruso

Q: What’s your favorite stroke?
A: I’m the team’s backstroker
Q: How did achieving this PR feel?
A: I felt so good, but I was let down too. I could have pushed myself farther and I was so close to qualifying for state. It just wasn’t good enough.
Q: How does it feel being considered a standout swimmer as a junior?
A: It’s great. I’ve been going to state since freshman year and finally being an upperclassman, the guy that underclassmen look up to, it’s fantastic.
Q: Because it’s an individual sport, what do you like to do for team bonding?
A: There are always team dinners, and stretches are real intimate with all the other swimmers
Q: What are your goals for yourself this season?
A: I want to qualify in as many events as I can
Q: What are your goals for the team this season?
A: I want to see us win state.
Q: Do you have any kind of pump-up playlist?
A: Well, it isn’t necessarily a playlist. Each guy has his own little thing before they get up on the block. I sing Human by The Killers to myself. I don’t know, it just gets me in the mood.

Kenny Bergman

Q: What’s your PR in the 100 freestyle?
A: Right now, it’s 49.93
Q: How did it feel achieving this PR?
A: It was absolutely awesome. I had no idea I was going to be able to do it so it was pretty cool.
Q: How does it feel being considered a standout swimmer?
A: It feels pretty cool. Being team captain is certainly an accomplishment. It’s me and Joel Woodward, so we’re in charge of making sure everybody does the practices and overall it’s really rewarding.
Q: How do you motivate the team?
A: Well before the meet, we have our own mascot who is, kind of contradictory, a snail. Before the meet we basically all give him our praises.. I don’t know. We like to put him up on a pedestal. That’s the way we start every meet. It’s a long standing tradition.
Q: What is your favorite thing about being a swimmer?
A: The rewards. You meet a lot of new people in the pool, it’s actually more social than you might think. And also the health benefits. It’s one of the best things you can do for your body.
Q: How do you form bonds within the team?
A: Everyday you swim at practice, it can either be a group practice or your in a lane with people who are on the same team. So motivating each other every day during practice, making sure everybody makes the interval and everybody makes the sets and that everybody ends up doing a great job during practice is one of the main things that keeps us interacting with each other. It basically allows you to meet new people and socialize with them.
Q: What are your goals for yourself this season?
A: Since it’s 5A now, we have a really high potential of doing well at the state meet. It’s one of my top goals. Certainly getting down that 100 free time to hopefully get me ranked in the top 3 at state for that event. That’s my other big goal.
Q: Do you have a pump-up playlist?
A: Anything with heavy bass and techno stuff like that.
Q: Is there a specific song that you listen to?
A: Yes. It would probably be Acid Wolfpack by Coyote Kisses. It’s kind of strange.