The UIL 5A state swim meet is this Friday and Saturday.

Five Redhawks qualified for the state meet with a sixth going as an alternate.

“Some of the biggest changes this season is that it’s pretty much the same group of guys, but we’ve all had a year to progress and get faster,” sophomore Jack Easton said.

Facing some challenges this season with disqualifications that prevented two relays from advancing, the team has made a few changes from last year in regard to event entries.

“Our 200 medley and 200 free relay is gone, but it allows me to swim two individual events, the 200 free and 100 fly,” Jack Eason said.

“Making state this year in at least one of our relays has been rewarding, but some of the drawbacks would be getting disqualified in the relays,” senior Nikita Naumov said.

“Qualifying in the 100 back has been rewarding but I wish we could still swim the 200 medley relay,” junior Jiwoo Oh said.

While five of these swimmers are returning from last year, this will be one swimmer’s first trip to this meet.

“Getting the opportunity to go to state this year is very rewarding, I’ve worked hard this season both at high school and club practices to get where I am today,” junior Noah Rose said.

Putting many hours of practice in a weekly basis, the team is looking to accomplish many of its goals.

“Definitely the time that swimming consumes allows less time for me to deal with college applications or work for my job,” sophomore Austin Urbine said. “Going into state, I’d really like to get my junior nationals cut for the 100 backstroke and get on the podium as well.”

The meet takes takes place at the Texas Swim Center in Austin starting with preliminaries at 4:30 tomorrow and the finals beginning at 3:30 on Saturday.

Reporting for WTV, I’m Vivek Sundararaman.