BEMIDJI 鈥� The Bemidji High 歪歪漫画 boys swimming and diving team may not have many members. The Lumberjacks headed to Brainerd on Thursday with just 14 combined varsity and junior varsity competitors to face a fearsome Warriors team.
They knew choppy waters were ahead. But though they didn鈥檛 emerge victorious, dropping their season opener 102-68, they learned one thing 鈥� they have a foundation of speed on which they can build.
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鈥淭o see them this fast early on is very promising for when we actually really start to focus in on the speed when they've got the better aerobic base,鈥� BHS co-head coach Kristen McRae said.
The Jacks took first place in the 200-yard medley relay, with Moses Son, Walker Erickson, Brooks Matetich and Ben Dockendorf posting a combined time of 1:48.74. Aidan Wolf also finished first in the 500 free with a time of 5:35.28.
Bemidji took top billing in the 100-yard breaststroke as well, as Erickson finished first in 1:14.56 with Noah Gustafson second at 1:20.35. The Lumberjacks wrapped up the night with a win in the 400 free relay, as Wolf, Max Brown, Nick Carlson and Gustafson combined to finish in 4:34.78.
With this swift swimming, BHS has an early strength to fine-tune as its strokers improve their conditioning and lung capacity in the next few weeks.
鈥淭hey just got in the water that Monday after Thanksgiving,鈥� McRae said. 鈥淎 lot of the guys haven't been in the water since March (of the) last boys swim season. So they're a little rusty. And the lungs are still developing, and they're just trying to get their sea legs back.鈥�
Since practice time has been limited so far, the Lumberjacks are focused on steady-state aerobic conditioning, building up their cardiovascular systems to withstand the rigors of racing. Eventually, they will transition to more specific training, which will help them hone their skills in different distances and strokes.
鈥淚t takes a good few weeks before we can actually start hitting the speed- and the race-specific training,鈥� McRae said.
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The Jacks also hope to build out their ability to compete in the diving portion of meets. They currently lack any competition-ready divers, giving them no chance at any of the team points available for diving.
They do have a certain school-record holder available to coach them, however.
鈥淭hank goodness we have (diving coach) Sam Howard, who was a diver for us a while ago,鈥� McRae said. 鈥淗e dove in college at UND. So he's got a lot of knowledge about how to develop the diving.
鈥淚t starts with learning how to do your step count up to the end of the board, how to use your body weight to move the board down and get some spring. And really, they start with basic jumps and entries into the water, and then building from there.鈥�
Bemidji will keep working to develop diving depth in practice while improving upon its swimming strengths. The Lumberjacks鈥� next chance to showcase their growth will be a home dual with Thief River Falls at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 14, at the BHS pool.
