Boys’ swim team reaches for another CCS record

“Step up.” Eight swimmers step on to the white starting blocks.

“Take your mark.” They bend down, fingers and toes curled around the edge of the block, poised for action.

“Go!” Bodies explode off the blocks in a tight streamline and they are off, swimming the first 100 of varsity boys’ swim coach Christian Bonner’s dreaded test set.

This test set consists of 10 100m freestyle, with every odd 100 at an all-out sprint for time and even 100s providing much-needed recovery. This brutal test is a way for Bonner to measure the fitness level of his swimmers so that he can create the best possible line-up for meets.

According to Bonner, the line-up plays a huge role in the outcome of meets. He said he spends roughly 2½ hours every meet on just making out the line-up, where he tries to match up his best swimmers against the other team’s best swimmers and gain an advantage.

Touch competition this year is expected to come from Gunn, Palo Alto and Los Gatos. Of the three, Los Gatos, who finished fourth at CCS last year, will be the toughest to beat because very few of their fast swimmers graduated last year.

“We have a chance [of beating them] if we make the line-up good,” said junior Adam Hinshaw.

The team isn’t as strong this year as it was last, when swimmers broke five CCS records, set a national record in the 4×100 relay and were named the Swimming World Magazine national champions.

Key swimmers from last year who graduated include Brad Murray, Ben Hinshaw and Matt Murray, who are all swimming at Division I schools. Despite these losses, Bonner thinks the team can be strong with sophomore Ian Burns and Hinshaw, both national level swimmers, leading the way. After finishing as the runner-up at CCS for two consecutive seasons, the team will attempt to maintain its elite status.

“We want to try to get second again in CCS, but I don’t think we will be able to win this year,” said Hinshaw. “The team is still strong this year, just not as strong, so we are just trying to maintain our second place position.”

Hinshaw is expected to break his brother Ben Hinshaw’s, class of 2009, 500 freestyle CCS record of 4:25.72. He also is within seconds of the 200 freestyle CCS record.

“I’m two and a half seconds away in the 500 right now and if I work hard and work on my turns, I’ll be able to get it,” said Hinshaw.

Bonner thinks the team may have a chance at winning the De Anza League, the upper league.

In addition to Hinshaw and Burns, other returning CCS qualifiers include senior Kyle Borch, juniors Justin Chung and Tim Rollinson and sophomore Mac Hyde.

At their first meet against Homestead on March 10, the team dominated. Hinshaw won the 200-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle, Kyle Borch won the 100-yard freestyle, Rollinson won the 100-yard breast, Ian Burns won the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard butterfly, and Justin Chung won the 100-yard backstroke. In addition the Hinshaw, Borch, Chung and Burns won the 4×100 freestyle relay.