Boys Swimming Hopes to Overcome Early Season Losses
NEIRAD enilno edition
Load printer friendly version
With every new season, different sport teams have to make up for the graduated seniors. This season will be especially tough for the boys’ swimming and diving team. Last year the team finished third out of 22 schools in Class M, the second biggest class in the state, with a 7-3 record. This was “better than expected,” junior Chris Weihs said. This year the team will have to prove its strength without last year’s seniors Sam Archibald, Peter Waters, Robby Nevin, and Phil Treesh.
Last year’s performance was an improvement on the 5-5 record the team finished the 2007-2008 season with. Since Coach Matt Czaplicki accepted his coaching position in 2006, the team has gone 20-10. Before his arrival, the team had suffered losing seasons for five consecutive years. “Our swim team was one of the premier teams in the state from 1995-2001,” Weihs said. From 1999-2001 the team won three straight Class S titles. Overall, Darien has won its class title seven times and the State Open once, in 1990.
But the turnover from last season may not bode well for the team. Treesh, whose coach described him as a “superstar”, swam the 100 and 200 yard freestyle, and finished in the top 10 in the State Open. “We had three really fast seniors,” senior captain Wesley Dean said. And “that’s a big loss for us.” Dean’s expectations for the team are a bit modest, hoping to go at least 5-5.
Senior co-captain William Plunkett is more optimistic. Plunkett wanted to go 8-2, and turn the tables on New Canaan, who beat Darien last year. “All the New Canaan seniors have graduated,” he said, adding that the team would not as big of a threat this year. Coach Czaplicki also had high expectations. “I hope to perform a bit better in the FCIAC this year,” he said, “for the Class M meet I hope to finish in the top 3. For the State Open meet, which is comprised of over 50 teams, I hope to finish in the top 10.”
Although the boys compete in both swimming and diving, there are much fewer divers than swimmers. The only two divers on the team are sophomore Timmy Murphy and freshman Jake Botell, who both dive the one meter.
The actual season for the team runs from the end of November to mid-March. There are ten meets in January and February, followed by championship meets that extend into the next month. But the swimmers and divers still work hard in the off-season. The majority of the team swims for either the Darien or New Canaan YMCA club. In addition, senior Sam Jackson implemented a cross-training program, adding to the weight lifting, running, and dry land exercises that the team was already performing. Training started around the beginning of September, and it came after a month off between the summer and fall seasons.
The main events for the team are the 50, 200, 500 yard freestyle, as well as the 100 yard back and breaststrokes. These are swum by sophomore Tyler Gould, Weihs, junior Jake Greene, senior captain William Plunkett, and Dean, respectively. This will be Gould’s first season since starting to swim year round, and Dean is hoping that he will be able to participate in other events this season and in the future. He “may emerge as a top sprinter in the state” Czaplicki said. Plunkett agreed with his co-captain and coach, saying he was looking for Gould to have more of an impact.
In addition to these swimmers, the team is also counting on its other swimmers, in particular junior brothers Luke and Jordan Washer. The team has “eight or nine” new freshmen this year, and they will be a factor in the team’s depth as the season gets going. “We have an awesome new class coming in this year” Czaplicki said, “They are able and ready to prove it.” Plunkett specifically mentioned James Baker as one of the top freshmen.
Besides competing statewide, there are a few individual meets that will be key for the team. “Our big rivalry is New Canaan,” Dean said. Also a threat, Wilton. “I think we’re better than them,” Dean said, but he predicts a “close win.” Czaplicki and Plunkett both listed three meets that were losses last year: Greenwich, New Canaan, and Westhill/Stamford, which competes as one team.
With the loss of Treesh and the other graduated seniors, the team will have to work hard to do well. With the large number of incoming freshmen and the hard work and dedication being put forth by the entire team, the boys’ swimming and diving team could still be in the hunt for a class championship come March.
