Written by Jacob Glinski, Staff Writer
Coming off of a successful 2018-19 season, the Indian Trail High School & Academy’s boys swim and dive team hopes to extend its success to this season. Already more than weeks into competition, the boys competed twice, opening the season with a home meet on Tuesday Dec. 3. The team featured four members who made state appearances last season.
General Studies junior Ben Wirch, a state qualifier last season in the 500-yard freestyle and 400-yard freestyle relay and sectional placer (third in 200-yard free- style, fourth in 200-yard freestyle relay), has high hopes for the upcoming meets.
“I would like to go to state and get the team record for the 500 freestyle,” Wirch said. “I swam for the Pleasant Prairie Patriots in the spring and did some training before the swim season to prepare for this goal.”
The IT General Studies junior will specialize in the 500 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 200 and 400 freestyle relays.
The team’s final record last season was an impressive 6-1, with exceptional performances coming at the WIAA Sectional Championship meet as well as the South- eastern Conference meet. The boys placed second at both meets, falling to Franklin both times.
Other notable returning swimmers include Alex Zoerner, an Indian Trail Kenosha Military Academy senior.
“My main goal is to remain on varsity due to the strong veteran swimmers who are underclassmen, and I also hope to get faster overall and better,” said Zoerner, who is in his second season on the team.
One such underclassmen veteran he’s referencing is Joshua Cao, an ITA sophomore. Cao, a returning standout from his impressive 2018-19 season which resulted in state appearances in the 400-yard free- style and 200-yard individual medley relay, enters his second year on the swim team. He will focus on the 200 individual medley and will join Zoerner and Wirch on relay teams that have shown much promise in past appearances.
Future home meets are against Tremper High School on Sat. Jan. 7, and Oak Creek High School on Sat. Jan. 21, at the Kenosha YMCA Kueny Aquatic Center starting at 7:30 a.m.