by Clare Kenney, photos by Meg Thompson, alternative coverage by Katherine Mediavilla

The STA swim season started Nov. 10 for the 2014-2015 school year. STA swim team head coach Andy Wilcox has made some changes from previous years to the swim team this season, including the number of people they will take to State. However, according to swim and dive team member Annie Alderman, attending State is best part of the season.

“[State] is a good team bonding experience,” Alderman said. “You get to have fun with your whole team and you get to cheer on the people that are performing at State.”

According to swim team captain Maggie Hutchison, the whole team will not be allowed to go to State this year because coach Wilcox thought the girls were too distracting last year.

“We didn’t do as well in State as we wanted to last year and coach said we were a distraction in the hotel room,” Hutchison said.

Not only will the team not be allowed to go to state according to Hutchison, Wilcox has also set new standards for the team this year.

“[Wilcox] really doesn’t want anyone leaving practice for other activities, unless it is absolutely necessary,” Hutchison said. “He has always wanted [swimming] to be considered as important as any of the other sports, so he doesn’t want anyone leaving for work because basketball wouldn’t be able to do that.”

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Freshman swim team member Mia Schloegel was very nervous for tryouts because of these changes.

“The changes made me so shivery,” Schloegel said. “I didn’t know if I was fast enough or not and that made me really nervous for tryouts.”

The team was small enough this year that no one was cut and according to Hutchison, despite the changes, the team will still be as bonded as they have been in the past.
“Since it is a smaller team, I think we will definitely still be able to bond with the freshman as much as we have been,” Hutchison said. “We are still doing a lot of the same bonding activities. We already had a team dinner and we have a retreat planned at Sky Zone.”

• Last year, the STA swim and dive team finished 17th out of 49 teams at State.

• The StarFish took first in the Independent League Championships, winning the meet by 91 points.

• The Stars placed first in five out of nine meets during the 2013-14 season and 3rd in four our of nine meets.

• At the MSHAA state swim meet, junior Andie Round placed fourth in Girls 50 Yard Freestyle and fifth in Girls 100 Yard Freestyle.

• During the 2013-2014 swim and dive season, Round was named All Metro and set four school records in the 50 freestyle, 100 free, 100 fly, and 200 IM.