The Manhattan High School boys swim team entered their upcoming season with their first meet on Dec. 3 in Topeka at Capitol Federal Natatorium. A mix of experienced upperclassmen such as juniors Jack Dunn and Ezra Kohl and emerging underclassmen such as Thame Schwabaeaur, who have demonstrated steady progress during preseason workouts.
“We have a lot of people that are brand new to competitive swimming, so just getting technique down is emphasis number one and just getting more comfortable in the water,” head coach Alex Brown said. “But we’ve seen a lot of progress and we’d say they’re probably further along than most of our new swimmers are at this point in the season, from what I’ve seen in the past many years.”
This season’s training plan emphasizes improvements in aerobic conditioning, stroke efficiency, and race pacing. Athletes have been completing a higher volume of interval sets, with particular attention placed on maintaining consistent splits during mid-distance and distance sessions. Technique refinement remains a central focus, with daily drills designed to reduce drag, strengthen kick cycles and reinforce proper breathing patterns.
“Good swimming comes from good effort and everyone gets out exactly what they put into it,” Kohl said. “Swim is a very unique sport in that it is very personal and athlete focused as well as intrapersonal and team focused, when you are swimming the only person you can hear is yourself and the only one really making you kick your legs is you, The swimmers are very closely bonded and meets can only be won with every swimmer contributing.”
The team has strengthened its focus on negative-split training, encouraging athletes to finish races strong rather than relying on early speed. This approach aims to improve overall endurance and maintain technical control in the later stages of races.
The backstroke and breaststroke groups have also shown marked development. Backstroke specialists have been working extensively on underwaters and breakout transitions, areas that could produce more competitive results in dual meets. Breaststroke swimmers have concentrated on improving pullout timing and glide efficiency, reducing energy waste and enhancing stroke consistency. These technical upgrades may translate into more impactful individual medley performances, as several athletes compete in both stroke-specific and combination events.
“The swim team’s overall goal is to build up a strong team for the end of the year and for years after because there are many talented individuals on the swim team already,” Kohl said “If we can get the other younger swimmers to rise up and take the mantle we can achieve great things this year.”
As the schedule stands, early meets will serve as benchmarks to determine lineup configurations for key matchups later in the schedule.
“After the first couple meets is when we start to get a better picture of where things could potentially go but we’re optimistic right now,” Brown said. “It’s just trying to keep everybody healthy, a lot of people just sick this time of year and getting as many practices in as we can, especially with the break just starting.”
The Manhattan High School boys swim team enters the season with stronger depth, enhanced technical preparation, and a clear strategic direction. With consistent performance, the team aims to advance as a team for the season.
“We are all just super excited and hyped to get this season started and see where we can take ourselves,” Kohl said.
