The boys on the swim and dive team had a plan walking onto the Northview High School pool deck for the day of finals on February 24th. To place in the top three, and when the swim and dive team sets its mind to something it always gets done. East Grand Rapids finished second overall with 360 points losing out only to Forest Hills United. The team feels comfortable in their current position and are even more determined to achieve a stellar performance at state.

Preparing for the conference meet, where five more boys got their state cuts, entailed a grueling season of months in the pool. Hunter Converse, sophomore, explains that, “our team doesn’t look as fast, but we are definitely doing better then we were doing last year.” The first place finish in the 200 yard freestyle relay composed of Max Jung, Trent Magers, Nick Hein, and Christian Bart, who touched the wall with a time of 1:29.90 is just one of the performances that earned the second place title.

The divers representing East were another huge factor allowing the boys to snag second. Nick Merritt winning first overall and Billy Kirchgessner in third, were both large proponents for the title. Christian Bart, senior, also really helped the team, placing second in the 50 freestyle and first in the 100 breaststroke.

Nick Hein and Christian Bayer credit much help to the younger half of the team, “a lot of the underclassmen have stepped up so we are pretty confident we can place in the top three at state.” Having a team which expresses so much depth in a variety of grades is very exciting for the seasons to come. Converse emphasizes this, “most of the impact has to come from our underclassmen, which is good because in later years we will do even better.”

As underclassmen are looking forwards to even more years with the team, upperclassmen are savoring their few state meets. Daniel Coles, junior, enjoys his time with the group and how close they have become. “This team is a lot more lighthearted and fun, we all go out to breakfast together, it’s been a blast.” The bond this team shares is what motivates them all to work hard and achieve the desired results.

The months of meticulous preparation resulted in a prime place at conference and the team is even more excited for their prospects at state. The boys are looking ahead to their next challenge with enthusiasm and anticipation for even more magnificent races.