The season may have been questionable at the start for the team, but everything seems to have gotten back on track. Captain Parker Grubensky said, “We’ve had a rocky start, but the conditioning work we’ve put in is paying off, and we’re making up for our lack in numbers.”

   Both boys and girls teams recently achieved an undefeated league record of six to zero under their new Head Coach Michelle Faulkner (maxpreps.com). “This is my first year as a Head Coach. I was a YMCA and USA coach in Rhode Island before moving out here to southern California. I am also currently a club coach for a local club here in San Diego. The team is doing amazing this season, and I am impressed with how hard each and every swimmer has worked so far,” said Faulkner.

   “They have achieved outstanding finishes at various invites: at the Mount Carmel Sundevil Invite. The boys team placed fifth and girls team tied for seventh, and at the Ben Hedberg Invite, the boys team placed eleventh and the girls team fourth,” said Faulkner.

   Faulkner added, “12 school records have been broken this season so far: 11 in swimming and 1 in diving. There are 22 individuals and 8 relays qualified for Cities, and 19 individuals and 8 relays qualified for CIF-SD. Both of these include three of our divers.”

   Rival teams have crossed the minds of swimmers on both teams. “Point Loma [High] was the biggest [competition] for the guys, and we were able to win that. The girl’s biggest opponent was Serra [High]. There was a big [Ben Hedberg] Invitational at Granite Hills on April 23 that we trained hard for as well,” said Grubensky. At the Ben Hedberg Invitational, the UC High girls 4×50 free relay not only broke the UC High record, but shattered the meet record, according to Faulkner. “The record was last set in 2007 by Valley Center [High],” added Faulkner.

   Several individuals on the team have already established personal bests for themselves this season. They have been training intensely to set these personal records. Grubensky said, “I’m trying to set a personal best in the 500 meter freestyle. I am trying to break five minutes in that event. We’ve had some new swimmers that have joined the team, and I’ve personally been training with them so that I can try to better my times. So far, I’ve established a new personal best in the 100 [yard] freestyle and have been able to swim a consistent time in the 500 meter freestyle.”

   “Our biggest team goal for the boys is to send at least one of our Boys Teams to state [in] relays. We are very close to making the mark needed in order to qualify. My personal goal is to make it to the fastest heat at CIF finals,” said Grubensky.

   Several obstacles lay in the team’s way to success this season, including facing several of the best teams in San Diego. Grubensky said, “Cathedral [Catholic High] and La Jolla [High] are the best teams in San Diego and will be big challenges this season. Del Norte [High] will also be key, as it has won the state title many times.”

Grubensky said, “I think my teammates have been doing well. They have been able to adapt to our new coach very well.”  “I feel the team chemistry is outstanding,”   Faulkner said. “When you compare this season to last [season], the team dynamic is definitely more competitive this year. The stakes are much higher, and it has become a lot more serious and important to all of us. Yet, we are still able to find ways to make it all fun,” said Grubensky.