By Timothy Leoncio
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The MHS boys and girls swimming and diving team continued Mililani’s winning legacy and took part in the Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA) championship finals on Jan. 31 at the Veteran’s Memorial Aquatic Center, placing 16 students into consideration for the upcoming state-level competition.
“We all worked and this whole season we all pushed each other so we can be the best and at OIAs we kinda showed that we were the best,” said distance swimmer Sophomore Brandee Schiller, “We all had that mindset where if you do your best, you’re already a winner.”
Competing at the meet was a rightfully challenging experience for the students. Relay swimmer Senior Michael McGuire stated, “We figured we gotta get a little more excited about this meet if we want to do better, so eventually it did kick in and we started swimming harder.” Head Coach Ryan Micale added to the sentiment, “The competition was tough. There were several very talented teams.”
The increased level of intensity for practice yielded commendable results as all of the competitors cut their times, advancing their team’s overall standing. The boys team went from third ranked in the state to second, while the girls team went from fifth ranked in the state to fourth. “This year, because our ultimate goal was getting to that state tournament with as many people as possible, we didn’t quite rest as much, we didn’t quite taper as much,” said Micale, “And it seemed to pay off especially in the relays. Most of the swimmers had their best times especially in the shorter distance and sprint events.”
Their bolstered performance allowed for 16 MHS swimmers to be brought into consideration for the upcoming state-level competition to be held on Feb. 14 and 15 at the Kamehameha School campus on Hilo. “I’m stoked,” said Schiller, “It was a lot better than last year. I dropped a whole lot of time. It was great.” McGuire added, “I didn’t get any slower which is a good thing, but now that I know that I can actually rotate, that’s gonna help me drop a lot of time at states, which is what I’m really looking forward to.”
Regardless of the outcome at the state-level swim meet, the team still felt great pride in their accomplishments. “I’m pretty proud of how our team did this past season,” said relay swimmer Senior Kylie Tom, “We all did good, we pulled our weight and did the best we could.” Also proud of the team’s success, Micale said, “The best part of the season is what I’m most impressed with seeing, just the best moment altogether, was seeing 16 people placed on the state roster. Having that many swimmers with fantastic times that I can take to states is fantastic.”
As the state tournament rapidly approaches, the team hopes to keep focus and hone in on perfecting their technique to continue their distinctive performance.
