Boys’ swim team in rebuilding phase this season

Four years ago, the boys’ varsity team were national champions, breaking national records for the 400 freestyle relay and winning and breaking the records of over half of the events at CCS; however, with the graduation of key swimmers from that season, the boys’ varsity team has been in a phase of rebuilding since.

Coach: Christian Bonner

Last season’s record: 3-3

Last season’s recap: Alumnus Ian Burns and his brother, former student Aidan Burns, who transferred to Bellarmine, led the varsity team throughout the season. Both placed in several events at CCS, helping bring the team to 10th place out of 44 teams overall in CCS.

Star Athletes: senior Michael Lee swimming breaststroke, individual medley and freestyle, junior Alexander Samoilov swimming freestyle and individual medley, junior Cameron Borch swimming freestyle, sophomore Randy Tsai swimming backstroke and individual medley

Key additions: freshman Bradley Newton swimming freestyle

Key matchups/games/meets: Monta Vista High, Palo Alto High, Gunn High

Quick prognosis:

Even so, the team this year does have a greater quantity of CCS qualifiers than it did last year. Samoilov, Lee, Tsai, and Borch have qualified for CCS previously and many other swimmers still have great potential for qualifying for CCS as the season progresses.

“This year, we have a couple of kids who have, as of right now, swam cuts that are CCS qualifying, but whether or not they’ll do it at CCS [this year], I’m not 100 percent sure,” Bonner said. “The season just started so we’ll have to see.”

In the fastest league of public schools in the area, the De Anza League, the Falcons plan on building new key swimmers, working hard and getting as many swimmers as possible to make League finals, CCS cuts and be Top 16 qualifiers.

“[In addition to CCS], our goal this year is to get the kids in the water, get them to train hard, and have them understand what hard work can actually give you,” Bonner said.