Race to state begins Thursday for swim and dive team

With senior Jiwoo Oh and his state championship in the 100 yard breaststroke helping lead the way, the boys swim team finished in 7th place in 5A while the both of the girls relay teams placed in the top 16 in the first appearance at state for the girls team since 2012.

NIkita Naumov

With senior Jiwoo Oh and his state championship in the 100 yard breaststroke helping lead the way, the boys’ swim team finished in 7th place in 5A while the both of the girls’ relay teams placed in the top 16 in the first appearance at state for the girls’ team since 2012.

Kasey Harvey, Sports Editor

Swimming and diving begin their race to state Thursday’s at the District 10-5A meet at Bruce Eubanks Natatorium. Diving kicks off the meet starting at 5:00 p.m. Thursday with swimming starting at 11 a.m. Saturday.

“I’m expecting best times, fast times,” head coach Emily Nightingale said. “Our boys have a chance of winning districts. It’s going to be tight between Reedy, Frisco, Wakeland and us but we have a big chance. Our girls have a chance of breaking a five year old record. I just want to see fast swims. All we need to do is swim our best. We can only control what we do. The five year record is in the 200 free relay for the girls. It was when Liberty’s girls’ team had some really really talented women. It’s been a long time since we’ve gotten close to that. We are .3 seconds away from it.”

With many of the Frisco schools practicing at the same time at the same facility, the meet will be a competition practice friends.

“It’s more like friendly competition,” sophomore Jainam Manot said. “You go out and have fun. It’s just all about fun I guess. I think it gives us more competition. It makes us friendly rivals so it helps us swim faster.”

As the only member of the school’s diving team, sophomore Bailey Wright is nervous but excited for her first district meet.

“I think it’ll be good because it’s the same people that I practice with so it won’t be as scary as the other ones,” Wright said. “I’m also nervous, only six people advance to regionals. There’s 11 girls.”