Junior Ryan Schottler and freshman Grayson Hurley competed in the state swim meet on Feb 17, resulting in the highest state finish in school history. 

Shottler placed tenth in the 200 meter swim and sixth in the 100 meter freestyle swim, while Hurley finished his season at 16th in the 500 meter freestyle. With that, the school placed 22 out of 31 teams.

Shottler found great success throughout the whole season, as he qualified for every event and had several first place finishes. 

“Some of my best successes were at the UKC meet, I was able to place first in the 100 meter freestyle and 2nd in the 200 meter IM (Individual Medley),” Shottler said.

Hurley also had a great season qualifying for state in the 500 meter freestyle and placed second in this event at the conference meet. 

The swimmers had to work hard over the course of the season, pushing through tough practices and fighting through soreness. For Hurley, his biggest challenges had to do with his size as a freshman.

“I’m not tall, so everyone else that I’m swimming against is much bigger, which makes it harder to compete,” Hurley said. 

The swim team as a whole had spent a lot of time together in preparation for state. The time spent as a team were some of the best moments for the swimmers over the course of the season. 

“I enjoyed when we could all get together as a team after practice. We all get together and figure out how we can help each other,” Shottler said.

For Hurley, he was able to use Shottler’s mentorship to drive him towards his success. The two have been swimming together since elementary school, which improves their team chemistry and helps each other be the best swimmers possible.

“I’ve known him for a while and he was always there pushing me, making sure I was doing my best at meets,” Hurley said. 

With the best state finish in school history, the swim team hopes to build on their success for years to come.The DHS