Junior Brian Harrell open turns at the wall Jan. 13 at the NW Pool. Harrell qualified for state in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 56.6. “I swim butterfly because I feel strong,” Harrell said. “When I’m swimming I think about my breath and my turns, and at the end of a race, I think about my coach telling me to push myself.”

Taking a breath, junior Alec Schmidt swims the freestyle length of the 200 yard IM Feb. 7 at the SM Aquatic Center. The Individual Medley is one 50 of each stroke in the order butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle. “When I swim I think of sand pouring like an hourglass or something simple to stay focused,” Schmidt said.

Yelling, sophomore Alex Savinkov and senior Vuk Vasiljevic cheer for the 200 yard freestyle relay Feb. 22 at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. Vasiljevic was a Serbian foreign exchange student, and this year was his first time swimming competitively. “Everyone I swam with has really gone from being a team to being a family for me,” Vasiljevic said. “The energy given off by each person was something truly amazing and worth remembering.”

Senior Scott Klein swims the 100 yard butterfly Dec. 10 in the SM Aquatic Center. Klein finished first in the event with a time of 58.45. “My biggest reason for success is because I have faith in God, and I work hard and keep my eyes on my goals,” Klein said.

Reaching back, junior Wesley Simms swims the backstroke length of the 200 yard medley relay Jan. 30 in the SM Aquatic Center. The relay finished sixth with a time of 2:23.36. “I’m always telling myself to push harder or to go faster,” Simms said. “The feeling from having a good race is exhilarating and a relief that all your hard work is paying off.”

Holding stopwatches, senior Bailey Cavin, junior Katelyn Dahl, and senior Catie Wood record times for the 100 yard freestyle Jan. 13 in the NW Pool. Cavin, Dahl, and Wood are all on the NW girls’ swim team. “Timing is so much fun because I get to support my school and the sport I love with some of my favorite people,” Dahl said.

Splashing the water, senior Scott Klein celebrates his race Feb. 7 in the SM Aquatic Center. Klein broke the 50 yard freestyle school and Sunflower League records with a time of 20.72. “When I saw 20.72 on the board, in my head I was thinking holy cow I did it, and I remember thanking God for taking me on this incredible journey,” Klein said.

Behind the blocks, sophomore Alex Savinkov hugs senior Scott Klein Jan. 13 at the NW Pool. Savinkov and Klein both qualified for state in the 50 and 100 yard freestyle. “My favorite thing about swim is the brotherhood that has grown over the years,” Savinkov said. “Everyone is just as passionate about your success as their own.”