The Online Newspaper of Lakewood High School

Lakewood Times

Lakewood Times

Lakewood Times

    Lakewood Rangers Boys Swim and Dive

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    With the start of the winter sports season at Lakewood High happening right now, let’s take the chance to get familiar with the Varsity boys Swim and Dive team representing our school. The team has been practicing in the water 7 times a week since early November, including 2 brutal morning practices. The swimmers have put in a tremendous amount of hard work towards improving their times and winning meets. Representing the boys as captains are senior Parker Polen and junior Mateo Bussert

    The boy’s team has some returning seniors that are looking to make their final mark on the program, along with some up-and-comers trying to make a splash. Polen appears to be the leader of the squad so far, setting PR’s in the freestyle sprint events and scoring plenty of points for his team in dual meets along with anchoring many of the relays. Another senior, Sean O’Donnell, has operated as a jack of all trades this season, performing well in the sprint freestyle events and relays along with dabbling in the 200 IM, and recently taking up the infamous 500 yard freestyle. Terence Checkett, also a senior, looks to improve his times in the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly as well as playing a large role on the relay teams.

    The younger boys are also doing well, Bussert continues to impress in the 200 IM and other individual stroke events. While junior Sam Saracina remains the backbone of this team’s long distance efforts, winning the 200 and 500 freestyle events in several meets. Looking farther down the totem pole: Sophomore Ronson Tucker is the best breaststroke swimmer the boys have, also contributing heavily in relays and excelling in IM events. Other underclassmen include budding sprinter James O’Donnell and potential breaststroke specialist Miles Watts.

    I asked renaissance man Sean O’Donnell how it has been expanding his repertoire of events: “I certainly prefer to sprint, but if the team needs me to swim the 500, I’m all for it!”

    The boy’s team has only one diver, junior Tru Smith. Smith has scored well in meets and looks to make a positive impact on the team moving forward.

    The team has several more duel meets left this season including one against Avon Lake this coming Tuesday. As the weeks move on the swimmers will look to present qualifying times for invitational meets and also prepare for the Conference, Sectional, and District meets towards the end of January. Good luck to all the boys in their endeavors this season!

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