The Fishers Area Swimming Tigers have produced many swimmers over the years. With seniors graduating and high standards held, there is lots of preparation in store for the underclassmen. 

     “Our training consists of distance, more distance, and some sprinting,” sophomore Taichi Kataoka said. “We swim a lot of yardages and it’s hard, but it sets us up pretty well for mid/long-distance events.” 

     The team’s training averages about 7.5 to 8 thousand yards, including aerobic distance sets. This training stays consistent, and has not shifted for the underclassmen as they prepare for the next season without the seniors. 

     “The underclassmen are prepared swimming wise, but not mentally,” Kataoka said. “I can’t lie, the freshmen are really fast this year, but how they act in practice isn’t very mature yet.”

     Although swimming is based on individual skill and performance, good team chemistry is very important. Senior Nick Viola said that swimming for a new team and a whole new group of teammates is “weird to think about.” 

     “We have so many seniors that we can look up to and it helps us reach higher goals,” Kataoka said.

     Despite the number of seniors leaving the team after this year, the underclassmen have put in a lot of work in order to have a strong season next year. 

     Viola said, “The underclassmen are prepared for the next season and they all train very hard.” 

     The boys swimming and diving will compete in sectionals Thursday, Feb. 17.