With sectionals coming up, the Normal West boys’ swim and dive team hopes to show their preparation and perform well at sectionals on Feb. 21.
Junior Cooper Franz mentions that he is working on individual improvement and seems to be focused on shifting into the “fast part” of the season.
“For me, this midseason, I already went less than 2 seconds off of my time in multiple of my events,” Franz reflects. “I’m already at midseason, really close to where I was at the back end of last season, and I think that’s really the same with the rest of the team.”
Franz defines success not by winning meets, which depend on external factors, but by each swimmer achieving time improvements.
Franz personally aims to make the state finals (top 16), which he believes will allow him to “get up on their wall.”
In Franz’s most recent meet (Big 12), he placed 2nd in the varsity boys’ 100-yard freestyle and backstroke. He had a final time of 47.76 in freestyle and 52.74 in backstroke.
The team as a whole has taken a noticeable step forward this season.
In fact, this past weekend, both the JV and Varsity teams took third at the Big 12 meet.
Franz emphasizes that swimming is ultimately measured by time.
The entire roster is going upward, showing faster midseason performance and stronger consistency across events.
He also mentions how the team relay group has become a major strength with multiple swimmers positioned to compete for sectional titles or state cuts.
This Normal West team has so much talent, ranging from freshmen to seniors, but there are a few key players that stand out compared to the rest.
Juniors Cooper Franz and Pierson Odland have a very solid chance at qualifying for state, according to Franz.
He adds that Pierson can “either win at [sectionals] and get the state time… or, just get the state time.”
At the Big 12 meet, Pierson Odland placed 1st in Varsity Boys 100-yard breaststroke; his final time was 1:00.6.
Senior Joshua Sunkel is also a favorite from the team to qualify for the state finals.
To qualify for the state, you need to win sectionals or meet a specific time.
During the season, it’s difficult for the team to get to know each other during practice.
“Whenever I’m at practice, I’m just, like, constantly going at it. There’s not really a ton of time to socialize,” Franz noted.
However, the team needs to build friendships.
Certain members, like the relay team, need to be constantly in tune with each other.
For example, On Jan. 27, “after Inter-City, we went to Moe’s as a team. So I think that’s just kind of a good little way to get to know the teammates, ’cause I’m a junior. Some of my teammates are freshmen, and well, I never really see them around school or anything like that,” Franz conveyed.
Going out to eat and having team dinners really benefits the team chemistry, and helps to keep team morale up during these intense beneficial practices.
