Despite many seniors graduating last year, CHS boys’ swimming coach Wally Lundt is expecting nothing but success for his young team.
An experienced coach, Lundt was a long-time coach at CHS from 1957-1990 and returned again to coach at CHS in 2004. The team wasn’t as successful as they had hoped last season because of their small team of 15 swimmers.
This season, returning players are the key to the team’s success. These returning players must learn to build on the ups and downs from last year in order for them to improve. The upperclassmen in particular need to show veteran leadership, as they will be some of the core players on the team who will hopefully have a shot at qualifying for state.
J.B. Garfinkel (CHS ’10) was the only swimmer last year to qualify for state as a result of his performance at the conference finals. Lundt realizes that this leaves a very young roster of swimmers for this season.
“We have a young team, mostly freshman and sophomores,” Lundt said.
Many of the players, who are already making a lot of progress, are sophomores Aaron Graubert, Jack Layden, Nico Salavaggi, and Roger Taylor and freshman Noah Youkilis.
The enthusiasm is high among these swimmers, as many of them will be on the swim team for the next three to four years. Lundt hopes that this enthusiasm will make up for the lack of experience.
“We have goals of improving,” Lundt said.
Lund noted sophomore Roger Taylor as a young swimmer who is already showing signs of a mature swimmer, despite only having joined the team this year.
“Roger Taylor, who just joined the team, is doing really well,” Lundt said.
This is a good sign for the team as it shows that newcomers are catching onto the system very well and are recording impressive times. Juniors and seniors are not the only ones improving with their swimming times as the freshmen and sophomores are taking a huge leap forward.
Improving swimming times are not the only aspects of the CHS swimming team that will allow them to succeed. Good chemistry between the players and the coach are important, as well.
“He’s a great coach,” freshman Mo Mills said. “He’s really supportive and competitive at the same time.”
Senior Charlie Beard probably has the most pressure to succeed this year as the only returning senior. He has high expectations for how well his team is going to perform.
“I think we are going to do better than last year,” Beard said. “We have young talent with a lot of quality freshmen and sophomores. Our juniors are also really good. Unfortunately, I’m the only senior.”
Beard also feels a responsibility to be a team leader because of his seniority.
“I think I’m sort of like a pack leader,” Beard said. “I feel I’m an inspiration to the rest of the team.”
The CHS boys’ swim has already had a great start to their season by defeating University City High School in their first match.