From November’s preseason to today’s postseason, the boys swim and dive team has grown tremendously as individual swimmers and as a united team.
“There has been a huge improvement in time and that’s because of their hard work.” Coach Corey Martin said. “They are making one last push right now. They are tired by the end, but I think they are seeing their hard work pay off.”
The team is sent several individual swimmers and relay teams to district after finishing the regular season with a 2-4 record. Although the team’s record was not as impressive as in years past, notably their near undefeated 6-1 recode last year, the team has made great strides since the beginning of the season.
“Even though this season wasn’t as successful in the win-loss column, I would say this team has a tight bond,” Martin said. “I feel like they have come together really well.
Everybody just encourages and motivates and it feels like a cooperative team.”
Martin said that Inglemoor’s past swim teams have had strong team dynamics, but this year’s team has an especially positive energy. This energy likely stems from the leadership of three senior team captains, Charlie Bohlin, Alex Byers and Alex Crotteau.
“They have definitely created the team atmosphere which basically has made a lot of people’s experiences on the swim team better,” sophomore Dmitriy Nikitinskyy said. “We actually look forward to going to practice at 5:15 in the morning.”
Bohlin, who is in his fourth and final year on the swim team, said that he and the other captains try to lead by example. They are the people that get to practice first, make time to answer questions from younger teammates and lead cheers at meets.
“We try to get people excited about things by doing them ourselves, and I think that really works,” said Bohlin. “I think people really appreciate that. Instead of being above everybody, it keeps us more as a group and leaders in that group.”
Bohlin said another important component of being a swim captain is carrying on the decades-old traditions of the team. The team’s favorite and most visible traditions is the team hair bleaching.
“When I was swimming back in the ‘90s, the Inglemoor swim team was bleaching their hair,” said Martin. “They have been doing this for at least 20 years. It used to be the guys just doing the state meet. Then it moved to the guys that made the district meet.”
Today every swimmer bleaches his hair on the last meet of the season. Their blonde hair has become not only a symbol of the swim team but of their pride and unity.
“It’s great,” Martin said. “It really shows that team cooperative effort.”
