The Warriors fall sports season ended with the football team competing in the state championship game. While this season of the year has come to a close, one end brings new beginnings. Winter sports. This winter the boys swim and dive team are back with a fresh motivation for a state championship down the road. However, the main story that is on everyone’s mind is the lack of a home natatorium. Construction on a new wing of Westside began last spring, and with that came the destruction of the school natatorium. For this season, practices will be held at Burke as a placeholder. This begs the question, will the lack of a true home pool affect the team in competition? Junior diver Nolan Boarts spoke on this challenge for his team.
“I would like to think that it wouldn’t be,” Boarts said. “Obviously I think that having Westside’s pool meets and practices wouldn’t hurt, but it isn’t a necessity. Our coaches always try to have us be able to compete anywhere. My team and I will be able to dive anywhere. At the end of the day, a pool is a pool no matter where it is actually located.”
Boarts is confident that this obstacle won’t prove any true issues for him and his team. As for the swimmers, junior Will Cartwright has slightly different opinions to Boarts.
“It will definitely be different,” Cartwright said. “It’s going to be a different environment which I think could throw some of us off a little bit. Westside’s natatorium was like a second home to me and this season will look a little different. Then again, my main goal for the season is to improve. Improving and getting better can happen at any pool, it doesn’t necessarily have to be at Westside.”
These constraints aside, the Warriors will be in the pool through rain, sleet, and snow. As a team, the swimmers are ready for anything this year. Senior veteran swimmer Alex Fitch has several clear goals for the season as he leads the team.
“We want to work more specifically with our new swimmers,” Fitch said. “Helping them develop as quickly as possible given we only have a few months before state and we are looking to mount a challenge for the win this year.”
As for Fitch’s personal goals, they’re fairly typical. Given that it is his senior year, Fitch wants to give everything he has towards a final year of development on the team.
“I am looking forward to improving on time and enjoying my last year on the team,” Fitch said. “We would love to fight for the win at metros and state. This season we are going to continue to work in and out of the pool with an increased emphasis on proper weight training with the whole team this year.”
Junior Will Cartwright will be returning for his third season this year. Throughout his career at Westside Cartwright has specalized in both the 100 meter and 50 meter freestyle. This season he looks to continue his development as he begins the back half of his high school career.
“This season my mindset will be the same as it has in the past,” Cartwright said. “At the end of the day it comes down to getting better. I know that I have the motivation to do so and I have what it takes. On top of that I’m really looking forward to getting back in the pool with my team. At Westside we have a really tight knit group of guys and the team aspect of this sport has always meant a lot to me.”
As for the dive team, goals are similar. A common theme of improvement and anticipation for the season seem to be prevalent over most of the swimmers and divers. Junior diver Jay Murphy is returning for his second season this winter. Although it is only his second season, Murphy has been progressing fast. Carrying this progression over to this season is at the front of his mind.
“I’m excited to get to work with the team,” Murphy said. “It’s important that I work toward becoming the best diver I can be.”
To an extent, diving is a fairly mindset based sport, leaning toward an individual sport opposed to a team sport. Similar to golf and tennis, a lot of diving relies on one person at a time, which can cause a bit of a mental toll on the athletes. It might cause even more issues if all competition is held at alternate venues while Westside is under construction. Murphy understands this obstacle for the season and everything that might come with said obstacle.
“Not having a pool at Westside makes for a weird practice schedule,” Murphy said. “It is also a little difficult getting everyone to and from practice.”
Murphy’s teammate and personal friend, junior Nolan Boarts speaks to the chemistry of the team this year. Both Boarts and Murphy are quickly progressing even after only a year.
“This season I think we will be more connected as a team,” Boarts said. “Last year we had a lot of new guys coming in and learning how to actually dive, myself included. I’m looking forward to progressing not only by myself, but as a team. With that, I really enjoy competing with this team and am really looking forward to working with these guys again.”
