The boys Swim and Dive team, in their second year under swim head coach Janna Skinner and first year under dive coach Elliot Ahlvers, are making headway as the season progresses. Several swimmers qualified for state, along with medley events the team will compete in on Feb. 20.

Senior Sina Khosh, who qualified for state in the 100-meter backstroke, said he is excited for the rest of the season and said they’re taking some big steps in the right direction.

“This is the fastest our team has been in a while,” Khosh said. “We have a lot of really good swimmers this year getting more qualified and consideration times for state.”

Khosh has swum under two head coaches in his time at Free State. He said that the transition has been both a benefit and an adjustment, but that he’s growing more than ever under Skinner.

“I benefit a lot from coach Skinner’s workouts because they’re personalized for each swimmer,” Khosh said. “Her workouts are a lot more effective for most people on the team in a high school setting.”

Moreover, Sophomore Anderson Bateman, who qualified for state in the 100-meter freestyle, has spent much of his life swimming. In high school, he said he has experienced an emphasized team atmosphere in comparison to club swim.

“I’ve taken that it is more of a team sport than club,” Bateman said. “When you’re in club, you swim for yourself. When you swim for Free State, you compete as a team.”

Additionally, Freshman Gavin McIntosh, who began diving this summer, has already made waves with a state qualification. Similarly to Bateman, McIntosh said he has already picked up on the camaraderie of the program.

“I’ve gotten to know a lot more people, and I’ve gotten to improve a lot by getting closer to the coaches,” McIntosh said. “Getting to know everybody has been really fun.”

With multiple state qualifications and high set goals by swimmers and divers, Khosh said he recognizes the results as a testament to their hard work and coach Skinner’s impact.

“Our program has come a long way with how much our students have improved. It’s not like our team was the fastest ever at the start of the season. Coach Skinner really helped a lot of swimmers, so as long as she continues to write these workouts, we’ll continue to see good swimmers come out of the program,” Khosh said.

The team will compete at state on Thursday, Feb. 20.