By Madalyn Milner
Just keep swimming!
From a left foot injury to new experiences, the girls’ and boys’ swim teams plan to make a big splash going into the season.
Junior Grier Backus is a diver, but for the first two months of the season, she’s going to swim. Because of breaking her left foot, she can’t dive just yet.
She got injured during soccer season this fall and had surgery. It hasn’t been easy for her.
She’s planned out some goals already.
“I want to do everything to the best of my physical ability, mental ability, and just have a fun time swimming,” Backus said.
Nothing is going to stop her, and she’s keeping a positive outlook.
“I just want to enjoy what I’m doing [swimming for now] and not doing it just to do it,” Backus said.
The team is being introduced to this year’s freshmen as well. Last year the girls’ team had 26 people, and the number is 26 again this year.
Freshman Shiloh Bunch swam at Delta Middle School and plans to continue.
Bunch does the 100-meter breaststroke and wants to hit a PR (personal record). She plans to try her absolute best during the season.
“I feel honored to be able to swim with them,” Bunch said.
Not only are Backus and Bunch looking forward to this season, but so is their coach.
Office Secretary Mrs. Alison Jackson is co-head coach with Laura Seibold-Caudill and she has high hopes for what’s coming.
Since the boys’ team pulled through and got second at sectionals last year, and new people on the team are coming into play, Jackson is looking forward to what’s to come.
Swimming is more than just a sport for the team.
“They are each other’s biggest cheerleaders,” Jackson said. “They all [boys’ and girls’ team] come together in the end and support each other.”
For some, it’s a new beginning, but for others, it’s the end. Zach Baty is a senior and it’s his last swim season here.
Baty is excited, but at the same time, he doesn’t want it to end. He’s going to do the 500m and he’ll be switching to the 100m backstroke.
He said he believes the season is going to go well, but in order to do so, the boys all have to cooperate.
“The big thing with me is, we’ve got to cheer for each other, then we’ll get better in the long run,” Baty said.
Not only is it Zach’s last season, but it’s Annie Jackson’s as well. Annie is a senior and has stuck with swimming.
Jackson has similar feelings as Zach, but she also wants to make the season count. She’s going to live in the moment.
There are new people on the team to consider, too.
“This will be the best team for all of my high school career,” Annie Jackson said.
Among the returning swimmers is Hudson Ewing.
Ewing is a junior and does the 50m free, 100m free as well as the 200m relay.
The boys’ team had 10 people last year, but there are 19 this year.
Ewing believes that the team has a shot at winning sectionals this year. Bluffton won the sectional last year with 425 points to runner-up Delta’s 291.
“(Bluffton) had more people than we do, but we have the talent,” Ewing said.
Just like Ewing, many of the team members have prepared for this upcoming season, hoping to make it a success.
Overall, the swim team is excited to make a big splash!
