Heading into a season, it's always nice to know how your team's going to stack up. This year Lynn Newton and the rest of the Simley boys' swimming and diving coaching staff were clueless.
"We had no idea what to expect," Newton said.
The Spartans lost two of their five state qualifiers last year to graduation. Of the three returning, one was a diver, which does not help the swimming side of the roster and its all-important relays.
But the results have been both surprising and energizing.
"We're doing a lot better than I thought we would, to be honest," Newton added. "Actually, all the coaches think we are."
Simley is 7-1 in dual meets this winter. The Spartans shocked themselves by finishing third in True Team sections. Ultimately, they earned the wildcard spot, which slotted them into the True Team state meet, a feat they failed to accomplish last season and didn't expect at all this year, either.
The Spartans placed ninth out of 12 teams. Another pleasant surprise.
"It was a lot higher than we thought we'd be," junior Alec Kandt said. "We thought we'd be in the 11th or 12th spot, but we moved up ... I didn't think we could do it."
They are doing it with a mix of veterans and youth. The Spartans boast 10 seniors and a hoard of eighth-graders making a strong impact, including Justin Briguet and Justin Stang. Briguet is big, strong and has added depth to the lineup. Stang barely made section cuts last year. This year, he's already two seconds under those cuts.
The opening of a new swimming and diving club, the Aquatic Club of Dakota County, which has housed some Spartans, presumably spearheaded their quick development. Because of the differences in age and physical maturity, the youngsters' competitiveness is something you can't quite expect as a coach.
"Usually eighth-graders can't really compete with older kids," Newton said, "and they're doing a great job."
Kandt began swimming varsity as a seventh-grader and is now one of the state's best. It's exciting for him to watch and mentor the younger Spartans.
"It helps a lot to get some input from the older guys so that it gets them excited and gets them ready, so when they're in this position, they can help out with the younger kids," Kandt said. "Overall, they're starting to get more into the sport. They're starting to like it a lot better because they actually can go to away meets and really become a part of the team."
Kandt is someone to look up to. He finished second at the state meet in both the 100-yard butterfly and breaststroke one year ago. He was undefeated this season until taking second in the breaststroke at True Team state on Saturday.
"I think he'll get them at state, though. No worries," Newton said.
Fellow junior and returning state qualifier Tim Luhr will join Kandt and upstart Mike Ausen in three relay spots. Ausen is another revelation, as he just began swimming last year. Carter Lang, a senior diver, finished seventh overall at the state meet last year. Lang has dominated all year long.
"We were not even sure if we would get 50 percent of our meets won," Newton said. "They're fighters. It's really fun to watch."
