The state swim meet starts Friday, and several Bearden athletes are competing.
The boys 4 x 100 freestyle relay team of Jake Mowery, Thatcher Ella, Graham Ella, and Miles Roth is hoping for an appearance in finals on Saturday night.
The relay team is seeded 10th, but two of the teams with faster times are the B teams for their schools, meaning they are not eligible to qualify for finals. The top eight times from prelims will qualify for finals.
The boys placed 16th last year.
Junior Thatcher Ella said the motivation to compete this season comes from last year’s success.
“We are really pushing to get top 8 and stand on the podium,” he said.
Ella will swim with his brother Graham Ella in the relay, something that Mowery said helps to make the relay team “closer.” They also swim consecutively as the first two in the relay.
“[That] definitely will help our chemistry on the relay exchanges,” Mowery said.
He’s also excited about the added bonus that comes with getting to swim in finals.
“[We get] a walk out song with that, and we also would get to walk out with other fast swimmers across the state,” Mowery said.
The team is composed of three juniors and one sophomore (Graham Ella), so they have the potential to swim together again next year.
“If we achieve our goal, in the next few [months], we will be able to reflect and improve for next year’s state, hopefully placing even better,” Graham said.
State will be at UT’s Allan Jones Aquatic Center on Friday and Saturday.