The air is humid; the floors are wet; and the atmosphere is electrifying. As the whistle signifying the start of the race blows, the swimmers dive off of the blocks and into the water.

Waking up before the sun and training before the start of school, the swim team has always been a group of hardworking individuals. Quickly forming close bonds due to the numerous hours spent together, the boys swim team is known for being extremely close. This year, the team has gained two seniors boys who have never been on the team before.

“Initially, I was going to swim JV just to cross train and stay in shape for track season, while hopefully preventing injury. But then, I raced Kody Schmidt in lifeguarding class and Coach Cunningham convinced us to try out for varsity,” senior Joe Frazier said.

Joining the team rather unexpectedly, the senior athletes were determined to give it their all from the start. However, joining a new sport as a senior without as much experience has been difficult in itself.

“My mentality going into the sport was to try not to drown myself and keep going. If I didn’t make it in time on a set, I told myself to keep swimming until I catch up,” senior Kody Schmidt said.

The practices have been difficult and the different, but despite it all, the two seniors have been working extremely hard to make this season successful.

“They’ve put in the work since practice one Monday morning and haven’t let up. They’ve earned their place; they’ve kept their place. They’re already doing a lot better than they were just a month ago,” head coach Andy Cunningham said.

However, this isn’t the boys’ first sport. Frazier and Schmidt were both on the state-bound boys cross country team and have been on the varsity track team for two years. From just having strong lungs as runners to possessing the tough mentality needed for going into the sport, the experience of being involved in different sports has helped both Frazier and Schmidt.

“Time-wise, it’s hard to get enough rest. However, being in other sports has helped me in swimming a lot. It has given me the discipline I need to be able to handle the strain of swimming,” Schmidt said.

The two athletes are figuring out their strengths in the water. Schmidt has been swimming the sprints while Frazier has been swimming the longer distances.

With the new sport and physical accommodations that come with it, there are other aspects of the sport that are new as well. The atmosphere along with the team dynamic is unique to say the least.

“The swim team is very close. It’s very different [from other sports] just because the team is much smaller and we spend a lot more time together,” Frazier said.

With three senior boys who have been on the varsity team for all four years, the boys swim team is expected to be competitive this year.

“As a team, we have our goals, and it will take a team to accomplish those goals,” Cunningham said.

Despite the difficulties that are faced, the boys swim team will be even stronger with the new members.