Strength in numbers sends swim squad to success as season winds down
Wildcat swimmers got out of the blocks quickly, with both varsity and JV holding a record of 4-1, finishing behind only Neenah at the FVA Conference meet. With senior captains AJ Kohl, Parker Fontaine, and Aaron Panske at the helm, the boys squad has nearly doubled in size compared to last year’s team of 25. Alumni Brady Engle, an aspiring teacher, also joined the team as an assistant coach after graduating last year.
"I wasn’t ready to be done with this team,” he said. “I love this team and I love swimming, so there was just something that made me want to be a coach. I felt it would be a good experience, especially with what I want to have a career in.”
Head coach Kel Wayne believes her team has adjusted overall.
“The first couple weeks were definitely harder for those new people,” she said. “Even if they were in shape for running or weight training, it’s just a whole different muscle group, so it was a big adjustment period.”
Despite some challenges, Engle appreciates strength in numbers, connecting it to the camaraderie the team sports possesses.
“Because of how many boys there were, it was a bit of a hassle,” he said. “However, most of the time, the team was, well, a team. They were together, and at meets, they were all cheering on their teammates. That’s something that I really value.”
This larger team also impacted the learning process, according to coach Lori Salzer.
“It was a really big learning curve since we didn’t have enough people modeling what a swim practice should look like,” she said. “So it was hard because we had so many people who didn’t know how to swim. For the most part, they did a good job.”
For some, this adjustment just ended up helping the boys in motivating them to do better during their season. Senior Caden Moon enjoys seeing the new recruits grow into the sport.
“I thought the learning curve for the new swimmers was good,” he said. “After one or two weeks, many were getting good at the different swim strokes and flip turns. For some, it was all new and was nice to see them working hard to get better at the sport.”
Wayne concurred with Moon.
“Everybody that joined were really hard workers, so the time drops that we saw at the conference meet compared to earlier in the season was super impressive,” she said. “Overall, just sticking with swimming even if you’re not a swimmer by nature. It’s a hard sport, so seeing that many boys come out for a sport that’s not necessarily ‘their’ sport, but also committing to it was really cool.”
First-year swimmer sophomore Eddie Tornow has found that the transition transcends disciplines.
“For me, know what you’re about, work hard, probably train a little bit beforehand just to get ready,” he said. “It’s a completely different part of your body that you’re training. Don’t think it’s not a whole lot, because it definitely is both physically and mentally. It’s a lot more responsibility and a lot more commitment.”
This commitment paid off in the end for many boys, with multiple personal records being broken at conference.
“I never expected such huge time drops, so that was pretty cool,” Salzer said.
Despite the success at the FVA Conference Meet, some have larger aspirations for next season.
“What I hope for the team to accomplish is to beat Neenah in meet invites, dual meets, conference, and even sectionals,” Moon said. “There are some really good swimmers returning next year. Caleb Bergin and Carter Crowe are some really strong swimmers and will do great things. I also hope everyone on the team can continue to accomplish their personal and team goals.”
With these goals in mind, Salzer hopes that the boys continue to strive for greatness.
“By the end of the season, everybody knew what they needed to do and knew how they were supposed to do it. I hope when we come back next year, they pick back where they left off and take it to the next level.”
As the team bids farewell to 17 of its kin, Engle parts with words of wisdom for the next generation of West swimmers.
“Work hard, it really pays off in the end,” he said. “I know it’s tough, but it’s a great feeling when you know that ‘I can do this, I can do this.’ So push yourself. Push yourself to those limits.”
by Evan Parfitt
Published Febuary 21, 2023
Oshkosh West Index Volume 119 Issue V