“We wanna win, you know?” stated captain Dominic Bollettieri ’25 of the boys’ swim team. After months of grueling practice and preparation, the squad was poised to compete for the state title on March 8.

Bollettieri acknowledged the loss of many strong seniors who graduated in years prior, stating, “The team isn’t quite the national powerhouse that it has been.” However, the team continues to experience success due to the collective determination to dominate the playing field. Captain Henry Webb ’25 adds, “The team is all really young but we are doing a lot better than anyone would have anticipated.”

Alex Du ’27 is among the younger varsity swimmers who aim to fill the shoes of their captains in years to come. He is a constant reminder that the future of boys’ swimming is bright. Du stated, “Our goal is to all qualify for state,” highlighting his belief in a collective success, instead of just an individual one.

The team competed in Sections on Feb. 26 at St. Chartine’s University. They scored the most points of all high schools and had the best placement overall. On March 7 and 8, they competed in the State meet at the University of Minnesota. They finished in 3rd place out of 10 teams with 212 points, behind Northfield and St. Thomas Academy, who won the event. The team had won a Minnesota-record 8 years in a row before this year, where they placed 61 points behind first.

Despite the disappointment of losing the streak, many swimmers had very successful individual performances. Webb won both the 100 Freestyle and his third consecutive 200 Freestyle gold. In the 200 Freestyle prelims, Webb set a Class A state meet record 1:35.76, and despite swimming slower during the finals, won by an impressive 3.5 seconds.