In the aftermath of the Manhattan High boys swimming season and the dawn of the upcoming girls swim season comes a new update on an issue that Manhattan swimmers have faced for years: having to choose which institution to represent, their own high school team or the Manhattan Marlins, the local competitive swimming club.  

The Kansas State High School Activities Association had guidelines that made it illegal for student athletes to compete for a club team during the period in which they were actively a part of their school team, that is only until last year when they changed their guidelines.

“We want to train with our club team the Marlins and compete with the high school, which is legal, but they’re not allowing us to do that,” junior Izzy Dritz said.

Dritz swims exclusively for the Marlins.

“I feel disappointed, I feel like I’m happy doing Marlins and it’s probably what I’ll end up doing next year and of course this year,” Dritz said. “We have a lot of similar things like we’re all swimmers swimming at the same pool at the same time. We’re both very focused on the team aspect but I also think it would be a very good opportunity for me to compete for my school.”

As for MHS, who only had one swimmer qualify into state on the boys side, they currently have multiple students who compete with the Marlins instead of the school team.

“I would like to [swim for MHS],” Dritz said.

Since KSHAA changed its ruling, some Marlins swimmers have been striving to work out a situation where they could represent the school but not practice with the school team. However, some of their potential teammates disagree.

“If you’re going to swim with the high school, and participate with the team, than you need to swim and practice with the team,” junior Trey Hafen said.

He competed with the Indians this previous season.

“The real conflict is they practice at the same time,” Athletic Director Mike Marsh said.

Both the Marlins and the Indians practice at the Kansas State Natatorium, at the exact same time, trained by two different coaches, Marlins coach Rob Putnan and Indians Coach Jerry Carpenter.

“[It can’t be worked out between the coaches because] of the time the rental facility is available for the pool,” Marsh said.

Carpenter declined to comment.

Sophomore Preston Harrison and junior Kelly Wichmann both have won medals and competitions with the Marlins, with Wichmann even advancing as far as reaching sectionals. These accomplishments could have been won in different competitions by MHS by the same students.

“Definitely. I would want to compete for MHS,” Wichmann said.

She and others have strived for eligibility even taking the matter to a vote in a meeting with the Board of Education where Wichmann and others were denied their request by vote.

“We’ve done everything we can and it looks like we’re done now,” she said.

Harrison, who also swims for the Marlins, was also a part of the movement for eligibility.

“[Mike] Marsh is 80 percent responsible for this, Jerry [Carpenter], the MHS coach, is probably about 15 percent and the school board who is ignorant enough not to consider the options is probably five percent responsible,” Harrison said.

“[If I were allowed to swim] I would hold multiple school records, but I’m not allowed to swim,” he said.