The swim team has had an exceptional season so far. The girls swim team has won all but one meet that they have attended and on the boys side, junior Nick Carlson was named a 2013-2014 USA Swimming Scholastic All-American.

“The girls are going to compete again for a State Championship, and there are really two or three teams that have a chance to win it depending on how the relays go,” boys swimming coach Steve Navarro said.

For Nick, becoming an All-American has been a goal since his sophomore season, and it is something that he has always imagined achieving. His swimming accomplishments have been embraced by his coaches and teammates as well.

“Everyone watches their teammates swim, and it’s really awesome with the amount of support we all receive,” Nick said.

Becoming an All-American is about more than just swimming. Yes, swimming times and achievements have to be at an elite level, but a lot of focus is put on academics. In order to be eligible, athletes have to have a GPA of 3.5 or higher which ensures that academics are still a high priority.

“It highlights not only greatness as an athlete, but also in the classroom,” Navarro said. “We are hoping to have more All-Americans academically.”

Nick’s high level of performance has helped the team in many ways, and the boys team as a whole has been swimming exceptionally.

“Our guys team has a lot of momentum built up so far from the wins [this season], and we’re all excited for State in a few months,” Nick said.

State will be held on Feb. 20-21 at the Texas Swim Center in Austin, and the coaches anticipate good results.

“I expect the boys to do a lot better than last year,” Navarro said. “Last year they finished 14th, but I think they will finish in the top 10 for sure, and if they have a really good meet they could move into the top five.”

Nick has not been the only one who has performed at a high level. Sophomore Victoria Edwards set a new record for the 100 yard butterfly this season and also won the 200 yard medley relay, setting a new school record. For her, the team awards mean a lot more than her individual performances.

“In high school swimming, I really like the team aspect because it’s not like that in club swimming,” Victoria said. “It’s nice to have a bond and have people who support you.”

Recently, Eanes Independent School District approved the building of an indoor sports facility on the Schreiner lot, which will include a swimming pool. Currently, the swim team practices at the Rollingwood pool.

“I’m hoping that by winning State and continuing to be successful, we can let the community know that we need this [on-campus swimming pool] to keep up with the other programs,” Navarro said. “The other programs we compete against all have their own facilities, and we are at such a disadvantage, yet we still do well. If we had the same facilities as the other programs, we would probably be the prominent program in the state every year.”