The Greenwich High boys swim and dive team’s dominant performance in last year’s LL Championships and State Opens came with the exit of some fine high school careers from Edward Moss, Thomas Dillinger and others, but that doesn’t mean the Cardinals are taking this year any different in the pool.
From the GHS pool where the FCIAC Championships will be swam, to the Olympic-sized Albergue Olimpico training center in Puerto Rico, the Cardinals and head Coach Terry Lowe have certainly gotten accustomed to a rigorous work ethic, and championship banners to back that up.
Lowe and his team took a nine day trip to Salinas, Puerto Rico where he says the team participated in two workouts a day with individual training sessions to fill their 15 hour “work” days.
“It’s nine days where this team really comes together,” said Lowe. “We get ourselves psyched up for what’s ahead. They were so focused and they worked so hard in what I thought was our best training session to date.”
“The hope Is that we can go all the way through states and have multiple All-American performances, particularly in our relays. Our relays are really our cornerstone.”
The Cardinals head into the postseason with another polished roster of All-Americans and State-record holders as Jack Montesi will look to defend his state title in the 100-yard butterfly as well as the 100-yard backstroke.
Montesi qualified for the Olympic Trials set to begin later this year in the 200-yard butterfly event.
“We’re very fortunate to have Jack as well as Alex Jahan,” Lowe said.
Jahan is also an Olympic Trial Qualifier for the 200-yard breaststroke event.
“He’s been a marvelous addition to the team as a senior and he’s one of the top breaststroke swimmers in the state.”
Montesi, along with his other two captains in Nick Handali and Nick Hyden, make up the usual suspects aiming to beat their own records in the postseason, but Lowe also preaches the depth of his team in nearly every category in the pool.
“Nick Hendali is probably one of the greatest team swimmers we’ve ever had,” Lowe said. “He really dedicates himself to the team and plays his part of the Medley relay. Nick Hyden is a big, strong sprint freestyler. He makes our 400-yard freestyle relay team really powerful.”
“We also have some really top-notch divers. A pair of sophomores in Devon Satir and Sergei Shaw will be a boost for us.”
Conrad Moss, a junior, will anchor the team’s medley relay this postseason as well.
A senior captain, Hyden says that the experience his coach brings to the team combined with the amenities of a Olympic-regulation training center make for the perfect preparations for another successful postseason.
“We’re looking to hack some of the records in the freestyle relay,” Hyden said. “I hope to drop some time in my own 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle. I know Jack will be looking to drop his time in the 100-yarder too, but we’re just looking to win.”
“Coach Lowe instills a championship mentality in us from day one. We take our yearly trip to Puerto Rico and that’s where we really buckle down for this time. Training in a long distance pool helps us get in really good shape in terms of conditioning and we have something to taper off of when we get back here.”
Lowe says even though his team has been outworked by no one, it doesn’t matter in the end when they still have to make it happen in the upcoming FCIAC and State tournaments.
“If you’re not really there determined to make something happen, it’s not going to happen,” Lowe added. “You have to be really focused and really ready to go. I don’t think we’ve been pushed yet. I think the kids have been really anxious for our championship season where they will have lots of challenges and competition.”
The FCIAC Championships start Wednesday with the Diving competition and finishes up Thursday with the relay and individual events. The State Tournament begins in March with the Open Championships scheduled for March 17 and 19.
