Now that Skyline Women’s Swim and Dive has brought home their strongest state finish in school history, with junior Andie Taylor obliterating a state record and several freshmen qualifying for state, it’s time for Skyline Men’s Swim and Dive to step up to the blocks and show that they can perform just as well.

Peter Wicklund.

Just how do they plan to fill this heavy order? First, the Spartan men have a turnout of 34 athletes, one of their strongest showing ever, despite the cold outdoor practices and locker room overcrowding. This means that swimmers who know what their strong events are will not only be able to specialize more at practice but also save energy at meets by swimming less races.

Skyline’s freshmen class rolls deep with an 11-athlete turnout that includes the much-anticipated David Jett. Jett is a versatile athlete that can help the Spartans in any necessary event, although he will likely focus on his preferred events this year considering the depth the Spartans have. The upperclassmen squad is also stronger than ever. However, the Spartan’s only turnout weakness is a glaring one; a one-man sophomore class.

As far as freestyle sprints go, Skyline’s strongest prospects are probably David Jett and Karl Buse-Bing, both with 50 yard freestyle times of around 23.0. Long distance freestyle will stay strong with Alex Palumbo methodically picking apart contenders every single lap of the 20-lap journey known as the 500 yard freestyle. Max Marber will likely continue his role as the reliable backbone of Skyline backstroke.

The departure of former captain David Yee may have left Skyline with weak ribs in the breaststroke department, but John Gerlach and TJ Forney are more than likely to fill in this gap. Butterfly prospects are more uncertain, although Matt Matches and Rogers Feng have both showed exceptional promise with sub-29 second 50 yard butterflies, the only butterfly race in high school swimming is the 100 yard butterfly with how well both can maintain speed remaining an open question. Yet, what Skyline lacks most in is the 200 yard individual medley, an event that may become a vacuum given the departure of Jay Farber to Tufts University.

As far as coaches go, head coach Susan Simpkins has instituted stricter rules such as needing to attend 90% of practices, counting only on-time arrivals, in order to make varsity. In the past, athletes could theoretically make varsity by placing well at meets while not attending practices consistently.

To drive home all their promising advantages, this year’s Spartan arsenal houses a secret weapon; assistant coach Peter Wicklund. To those who know him, Wicklund is more than just a coach or amazing athlete. He is an inspiration that redefines the boundaries of what is humanly possible. The 6-foot-3, 180lb former Skyline athlete still holds numerous Skyline records and saw his named etched into the annals of Washington high school swim records. UW’s former swim captain also boasts a 20.30 50 yard freestyle, faster than the all-time school records of some Division 1 schools, even though sprint freestyles aren’t even his mainstay. This superhuman athlete cracked the University of Washington’s all-time record in the 200 yard freestyle with a time under 1 minute and 38 seconds. The legend was once ranked top 5 in the nation for his age group in multiple events and was anticipated to represent the United States in the Olympics until a lower-back injury put him out of action.

The team’s biggest rival this year is likely its traditional rival Issaquah and the heavily-favored Mercer Island swim team, which captured more first-place finishes in last year’s KingCo meet than any other team. While both rivals proved stronger than Skyline last year, the tables may soon be easily turned.

For those dying to see the Spartans unload their full potential, come to their first meet on December 9th against Interlake!