Three points. That’s all that kept the girls swim and dive team from placing third at Friday’s regionals. Although the team did not rank as high as it would have liked, a total of five state considerations will be determined on Tuesday. Besides the possible five state competitors, the rest of the team was faced with a hard goodbye to their coach Jerry Carpenter.

“It was so hard,” sophomore Kathy Burton said. “It was weird after the meet because after the adrenaline of competing was over it kind of hit everyone that it was the last time we would be competing with him as our coach.”

Even though the team will miss him greatly, the swimmers have taken away life lessons and learned from their coach.

“I get very anxious before competing, especially with my 500,” Burton said. “All of last week I was really stressed about league and Jerry [Carpenter], in the nicest way known to man, basically told me that I was being dumb for stressing because I work hard and to trust myself as a swimmer.”

Multiple lessons over the course of the year were accumulated and will never be forgotten by the team members.

“He taught me that the only way anyone can ever change is if that person himself decides to change,” Burton said.

The season as a whole was fast paced and memorable.

“The season was hectic, and fast and amazing,” Burton said. “We had some rough patches, but we really pulled together as a team and I’m really proud of us.”

In regards to next year, the swimmers are already looking forward to the next season and setting goals.

“Well I know that some of us, myself included, are already excited for next year and we really want to be an amazing team,” Burton said. “I really want to improve my 500 and hopefully make state cut.”