“I think goals should never be easy, they should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time.” -Michael Phelps

The Jesuit Rangers have been working their tails off since August. After witnessing all their efforts pay off, the team had an epic end to their season this year. The Rangers won their district, finished 7th overall at Regionals, and sent a swimmer to state. The successful season was not at all possible without the hands of the coaches, Mr. Moyse and Mr. Meagher, and the “all-in” team effort this year.

District

The Rangers dominated the District meet, securing their 7th district title. In the deep end, the Diving team contributed by  scoring major points for the team, as Jack Young ’21 won the one-meter diving section. Additionally, Blake Butz ’22, Sammy Steffler ’22, and Phillip Thompson ’22 all achieved top six performances and continued their legacy to the regional meet. Splashing into action, the hungry Rangers set the tone of the meet with the medley relay of Ryan Brown ’20, Kevin Grant ’21, Ivan Lopex ’20 and Alex Hung ’22, finishing first-place with a time of 1:40.79. The Reigning Champion Ivan Lopez ’20 regained his throne, winning the 100 butterfly. Alex Hung ’22 fought for second, as he and Lopez both qualified for the regional meet. Will Mckinney ’20 shocked the pool as he dove into the water, winning both the 200 IM in a time of 1:55.14 and the 100 breast in 1:00.08. For the Splash-brothers, James Saverese ’22 and Jackson Summer ’22 dueled for the top 6 spots in the 200-yard freestyle to advance to the regional meet. Savarese ’22 posted a time of 1:45.15 for third place, while Summers ’22 posted a time of 1:47.17 for fifth place. Both of Jesuit’s Freestyle relays left the competition in awe, as the 400 free-relay of Summers, Ryan Peckham ’21, Savarese and McKinney ’21 scorched their rival Richardson by four seconds, securing their first place victory in a time of 3:16.08.

Regionals

In the 200 IM, Rangers Will McKinney ’21 and Ryan Peckham qualified for the A final. Peckham finished in 6th place and McKinney popped off and snatched a second-place spot with a time of 1:53.37. This enabled McKinney to punch his ticket to Austin to compete at the UIL 6A state meet. Mckinney was edged out in the 100 breaststroke, finishing with a third-place title with a time of 59.17. Reigning District Champ, Ivan Lopez, finished 9th place in the 100 Butterfly, trailblazing a 53.25. Alex Hung followed closely behind, finishing 12th in the 100M butterfly. Splash Brothers, Savarese and Summers went at it again in the 200 freestyle. Savarese finished in 10th place going a 1:45.06 in the final, along with Summers finishing in 14th. Back in the deep end, “Jack the Diver,” coined by Coach Moyse, Young finished the top eight in the one-meter diving. Sammy Steffler finished in the top 16 for the event.

State Championships

Will McKinney started his journey to Austin on February 13th to ensure that he would get his much-needed rest for the pool. “Nerves pulsing through my veins”- a quote of McKinney’s as he was on the starting blocks. McKinney unleashed his dominance on the other swimmers, with a season-best 1:52.52 in the prelims to earn a spot in the consolation final. McKinney would finish 15th overall in the Finals.

Interview with Coach Moyse and Mr. Meagher:

1. How can you best describe the effort that it took to lead up to the results and performances shown at the regional meet by the swimmers?
Coach Moyse:
”Our team has one of the longest seasons of all Dallas Jesuit Sports. Getting up consistently earlier than the majority of other student-athletes for most of the school year makes it tough to be exceptional in all aspects of their lives, but our team members find a way to do that.
Consistent, dedicated, work helped this team put together a very special year. It didn’t happen overnight, but did over many days and nights. Our swimmers and divers braved the cold water and inconsistent workout locations, but always had each other to lean on for support.
We worked on tempo, explosiveness, better feel for the water & boards, better streamlines, and always considered better technique and cleaner entries.”
Coach Meagher:

“I think over the course of the season we did some really good things that helped us be successful during the year.  Those swimmers & divers who made practice consistently and worked hard showed great improvement over the year. I think these folks will continue to improve over the next few years, and we will become a more prominent force in our region (and hopefully beyond). Will did an exceptional job getting himself into condition to make a run at the State meet.  His effort was exemplary for those who desire to make it to that level.

2. How has the team changed from the beginning to the end of the season?
Coach Moyse:
“We’re a better version of ourselves. The team is more knowledgeable and now has better fitness and muscle memory to execute more difficult dives and to swim faster times.“
Coach Meagher:
“If our team continues to increase its work level, there’s no reason why we can’t have more swimmers, and maybe some relays, compete in the State meet next season.“
3. What are your reactions of the team’s performance at regionals?
Coach Moyse:
”Coach Meagher and I were very proud of way the guys raced and dove competitively throughout the season and still had another gear for the championship season. Our team goal was top 5 at the Region meet and would have been 4th, if not for a questionable relay disqualification. Given that our Region includes several of the biggest schools in the State with great swim programs, we were pleased that we were able to compete so well with them.“
4. How big of an accomplishment is it to send a swimmer to state as well as your thoughts on Jesuit advancing and competing at the state level?
Coach Moyse:
“It was huge to get at least one athlete to the 6A State Meet because it paves the way for future Jesuit swim/dive athletes to set the bar high and know that if they work hard and take care of business, they too can make it to that level.
After not getting anyone the last couple of years to State, it was especially sweet to make it back and score at one of the most competitive state swim/dive meets in the country. Will McKinney will be back again next year and we believe he’ll have plenty of teammates competing with him to keep him company!”
Coach Meagher:
“That’s not to take away from our accomplishments this year.  Undefeated regular season, District champions, Top 7 finish at Regionals, a State qualifier—all this adds up to one terrific year for the Rangers.”

Interview with the Captains:

The Team dynamics going into the championship meets from your responses were “off the charts.” What are your reactions to the times that were posted at the district, regional, and even state meet?
Ryan Brown ’20:

“The team did very well at both the district and regional meets. All swimmers posted the best times at the district meet, which was very encouraging. Winning that meet was a great way to end the season and send the seniors off.”

Aidan Hoofard ’20:

“We were all pretty ecstatic on each others’ times. I’m not sure if everyone had a personal best, but if someone didn’t, they were very close to it. There were a lot of best times with the underclassmen though, and it was pretty special to watch.”

Ivan Lopez ’20

“I was proud of everyone’s performances at each of their respective meets. Everyone went all in this season and that mentality truly showed with all the times that everyone was able to put up.”

Abraham Martinez ’20:

“I was initially surprised. I knew that everyone had improved but not to the extent I was expecting. This was as surprising as learning that we were undefeated before going into districts.”

How would you best summarize your experience being captain for the team this year?
Ryan Brown:

“Brotherhood. From early practices to team dinners and bus rides, we really bonded as a team this year. This made it easy to support each other and that made us all swim better.”

Aidan Hoofard:

“Pride- No one slacked off this year. Everyone really put their best foot forward and excelled themselves. The team also came together and it was truly an amazing thing to see the brotherhood between the boys. I was very happy with them this year, and I know they’ll continue to leave a legacy in the upcoming years.”

Ivan Lopez:

“I’d say unity. The whole team whether it was in the pool, the weight room, school, or even our group chats held each other responsible. We always checked up on one another and pushed each other to be great. As a captain, that’s all you can really ask for, for a team to have good team camaraderie and be willing to push each other to be their best.”

Who would you like to show appreciation for the season this year?
Ryan Brown:

“All the parents and volunteers that provided snacks and drinks and helped manage the district meet and Ranger relays. Also especially the senior moms who have done a ton to help organize team events.”

Aidan Hoofard:

“I want to thank the coaches for one; they plan all the meets and events, which is very trying at times. They also came up with great practices this year that helped us achieve more. I also wanted to thank the moms of the swim team, because they are the ones who organize the tiny things of meets, such as having timers and snacks for the team. Without them, I don’t think this season would have run as smoothly as it did.”

Ivan Lopez:

“The parents, because for as much as it’s us competing, they’re the ones who provide everything needed for us to simply jump in the pool and swim. Whether it’s driving us to practice at 6 in the morning, providing team favorite snacks such as Gatorade and gushers, volunteering and etc. They really do make the coach’s jobs easier, which in turn makes our jobs easier.”

What are your thoughts on the new pool?
Ryan Brown:
“I’m a little disappointed that I will not be able to use it because it looks like it will be a great facility, but I know it will make swim meets more exciting, since there will be more students able to go watch, which is exciting.”
How did the seniors incorporate the theme of Loving into the team dynamics?
Aidan Hoofard:

“The team spends a lot of time together. We usually eat together at school and hang out during the weekend. On top of spending our mornings together every day, we also carpool to school from practice. We make sure everyone has a ride to school, and the actual trips to school are unique and different every day. Through that, we develop a sense of brotherhood with each other, more personal than the overall camaraderie shared amongst Jesuit students.”

What is one thing you will miss the most about leaving the team this year?
Ivan Lopez:

“The team spirit this year was probably at an all-time high from the time I’ve been at Jesuit. You never knew what to expect, but you always knew it’d be a good time with the team. Whether it was getting hype for our divers, or hyping up someone that was going off in the weight room, making memes for the group chats, or getting turnt at the post-practice shower parties, and even witnessing coach Doug’s break out some moves, I had a blast this year and enjoyed every moment.”

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