Head coach Paul Fairman said this season’s boys swimming and diving team is the “best balanced” he’s ever had.
“We’re pretty good across the board,” he said.
The Dragons return several promising racers to the pool, including seniors Chris Conner, Stephen Maniace and Gabe Chevrier, Erik Wallace, Brian Desrochers, and Chris Rowe.
“We also have a very talented junior, Pat Dodge,” said Fairman. “He’ll be strong for us in the 100 and 200 freestyle events.”
The team also has junior Derek Riley back, as well as junior Pat Ruhland, who Fairman calls the “comeback kid.”
“Pat was out with a heart problem last year, and placed in the top eight his first year,” he said. “We also have his brother Garrett, a sophomore, back on the team.”
Sophomores David Brown and Ben Busuito also return for the Dragons this season.
“We have 22 swimmers and five divers, presently,” said Fairman. “It’s a pretty good size team.”
Fairman places Lake Orion in second place out of the returning teams from last year’s OAA II league.
“We’re entertaining thoughts of challenging for the division title,” he said. “We also want to get more state qualifiers.”
Fairman thinks Conner, Dodge and some of Lake Orion’s relay teams have a good chance to go to the state competition. Returning sophomore diver Kellen Malstrom placed in the top 16 of the league last year.
“They looked better than expected, but not as good as I’d hoped because they didn’t have enough training this fall,” said Fairman of the team in general. “One of our strongest races will be the 200 freestyle.”
Fairman said winning a championship this season “would be nice,” but his main goal is to get more swimmers and divers at the state meet and “get someone to earn some points there.”
“We were close with our diver (Brandon Reiss) last year,” he said. “We graduated four seniors.”
“We had the best summer we’ve had in terms of numbers,” Fairman continued. “This fall I only had two really training regularly, I’d hoped for six or eight. I would like to get 50 percent of the team training year round.”
Fairman said swimming is a totally different sport, training-wise, compared to most high school varsity sports.
“There’s really no cross-over training,” he explained. “Right now we’re in a three-team race for the championship. Seaholm has the top swimmers in the league…West Bloomfield will also be tough.
“It depends on who wants to work the hardest,” he said.
“So far, I like what I see, effort-wise.”