With water splashing up in the air, the snap of goggles reverberating off the walls, the cheers of fellow swimmers and coaches encouraging the young men, your Jesuit Ranger swim team competed in two relay events and three individual events in the 2011-12 UIL 5A state swim meet in Austin, Texas, last weekend, February 24-25.
Capping one of the most successful swimming seasons in Jesuit Dallas history, including a District 10-5A Championship and a Region 3-5A Championship, swimmers Eric Futscher ’13, Garrett Toledo ’12, Jon Hoffman ’12, and Alex Knitch ’12 all participated in the state swim meet.
Senior Garrett Toledo placed third in the 50-yard Freestyle with a time of 20.97 seconds. This score broke a school record that stood for 32 years, etching Toledo’s name into Jesuit history for years to come. Toledo also competed in the 200-yard Individual Medley, placing 13th in that competition.
On winning a bronze medal and breaking a Jesuit record, Toledo said that it was “one of the better days of my life. Sorry James Spaulding, [previous Jesuit record holder of the 50-yard Freestyle,] but thanks for the motivation. I am leaving my name in the record book.” Toledo ended our brief interview with an even briefer declaration: “20.97.”
An up-and-coming swimming superstar, junior Eric Futscher, competed in the 200-yard individual medley – one of the most difficult strokes. Futscher placed 13th overall in the competition. Futscher said that the meet was “absolutely great.”
From the second he walked into the building, Futscher noted, “A chilling feeling filled me through the two doors to get to the pool deck. The experience was wonderful and I had a great time making memories.” Futscher concluded by saying he looks to make big news next year during his senior season for Jesuit.
Finally, the relay team of Toledo, Futscher, Jon Hoffman, and Alex Knitch placed in the top 10 in both the 200-yard medley and free
relays, earning the squad All-American consideration. However, even though the team scored in the top ten, they were initially disqualified by race officials.
Futscher commented that the initial DQ “was only a human error, because they thought Alex [Knitch] jumped into the pool early. Nobody did anything wrong; it was just a mistake.” The mindset that went through all four swimmers at first was “heart-breaking,” but the DQ was just a mistake by the officials.
All things considered, the state swim meet was a fantastic opportunity for Jesuit, proving that we have the ability and know-how to compete in big time UIL events. Congrats on a well-done season, Ranger swimmers!
