On Saturday, Feb. 7, the swim team returned from their Regional Swim Meet in the Woodlands. The matches were fast and furious, ending in both triumph and heartbreak.

In the boys’ medley relay, one of the top three swimmers in the state was disqualified. Officials stated that the second swimmer left early.

“I watched the video over and over and completely disagree with the call,” Coach Matt McBrearty said. “It was heartbreaking and game changing, instantly eliminating our chance to win the meet or make a run at a state title. But the team really pulled together and swam hard after that.”

Despite the controversy, the team was motivated to work together and swim their hardest to come out on the top.

“I think our team stepped up a lot and so I am actually really proud of them for taking out some tougher competition at regionals,” Garrett Mott ‘16 said. “I think we did really well this season and all in all we dropped a lot of time.”

Two backstrokers, Preston Varozza ‘16 and Matthew Mahoney ‘15, advanced to state along with the 400 free relay with Mahoney, Varozza, Greg Raper ‘16 and Ryan Larson ‘15. They will be competing in two weeks at UT Austin.

In addition, there were many notable moments where swimmers fought hard and gave it their all. In the 400 free relay, Mahoney’s goggles filled with water, flipping and pretty much blinding him. However, he pushed through and with the assistance of Larson, Varozza, and Raper, the swim team was able to make state.

“I think we did pretty good, but were hoping to do better,” Ashlyn Carol ‘18 said. “However, I was really happy with my individual swims and relays.”

In addition to competing, Regionals was a great bonding opportunity for the team. Encouraging one another emoted a positive attitude that everyone shared.

“Regionals was definitely a really good experience,” Angela Yu ‘15 said. “I wouldn’t trade high school swimming for anything. It was a really great time for all of us to hang out together and bond between our different swims.”

All in all, the swimmers made a push for the best. By dropping time, working hard, and improving, this season has been a success with Regionals ending it on a high note. By practicing new skills, the swim team is ready to turn their success into preparation for next season.

“Everyone did their part this year and we worked really hard this season,” Jacob Stubbs ‘18 said. “So if we can keep working like we have been, we can only go up.”