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- Junior Austen Young practices before a meet
by Ryan Condon
After a slow start to the season with a record of 1-5-1, boys’ swimming and diving has seen major improvement, according to senior Ben Salwen, a captain with senior Ryan Chan.
Salwen said that while the team hasn’t seen much success in the water this year, “Swimming is a sport in which practice is huge for improvement.” He predicted that the experience gained so far this year will help the team in the future.
The team lost many key players from last year, but the squad has a lot of potential, according to Salwen.
Coach Ryan Rich said, “I have loved working with this team. It is a wonderful bunch of guys.”
One of the toughest meets of the season was the team’s tie against Wellesley Jan. 13, according to Salwen. “I had never been in a tied swim meet before,” he said. “We had some great swims and it was back and forth the whole meet. It came down to the last race, and it just happened to end up the way it did. Both teams fought really hard.”
The team competed in and lost a meet against Needham yesterday that Rich said would be close.
Rich said, “We still have a lot to work on, as our record suggests, but we’re trying to enjoy every step of progress along the way. Every day, these guys are trying to get better.”
The team will compete in the Bay State Conference meet Feb 2 and 3. “I know our guys will be excited and ready to step up to the challenge,” Rich said.