Executing flips and dives while falling from the top of a high diving board can come as quite a challenge, the chance to land on your stomach or back can scare many potential competitors away.

Junior Zane Kohl faced that challenge and many more at the home opener last Wednesday in the Indians first home swim and dive meet. Kohl placed first in the diving competition scoring 263.75 points. The Indians scored 72 points higher than the second place team at the meet, securing their home pool advantage.

“I was really happy, a lot of solid races,” Manhattan High head coach Alex Brown said. “The first meet at home is always exciting, because you are at home and you want to win. We didn’t lose by much in the same meet against the same teams last year, so it was nice to see the response and see us get a win.”

Seniors Preston Harrison and Wyatt Balman led the way. Balman started the team off strong placing first in the 200 yard IM.

“Everybody had a skip in their step,” Balman said. “At first everyone was kind of nervous but everyone was still super hype. It wasn’t as nerve racking as an away meet because we were at home.”

Harrison then led the way taking first in both of his individual events: the 50-yard freestyle in which he smoked his opponents winning by nearly two seconds, then swam even faster in his 100-yard butterfly, not having an opposing swimmer within six seconds of him.

Harrison and Balman have an opportunity to now be the people they once aspired to be. As seniors and team captains, they will help lead the team throughout the year, taking on a role they once looked up to.

“I remember my freshman year when I was looking up at the seniors and I thought they were so cool,” Balman said. “And being a senior now, I get that same feeling. We have this pep talk before the meet, and what the seniors do is they stand on these crates, so all the freshman, juniors and sophomores can see them and I used to remember looking up and now I am up there looking down.”

The Indians look to continue their strong performance with another home meet tomorrow facing Junction City, Hays, Salina South and Salina Central.