While the CHS girls' swim team has finished their season, the CHS boys' swim team is in the middle of their championship season. The final high school swimmers' Saturday morning spirit breakfast was held two Saturdays ago to a reduced crowd of hungry boys after morning practice. I thought we were cooking for the entire roster of 55 but when the boys started coming up after practice, realized that only the sectional swimmers were at practice that day...no matter, the boys were happy to eat up and enjoy what was offered.
Sunday the boys met and all dyed their hair blonde...this is a tradition I don't understand, but I go along with it anyway because apparently it is just something they do/have done forever and day, so at this point, it's tradition. Surprisingly enough, it doesn't take me that long to get used to Matt being a blonde, shocking at first, but by the second day, seems fairly normal. Don't know what that says.
On Wednesday the entire roster of 55 boy swimmers showed up for the traditional night before sectionals Spaghetti Dinner and Hair Clipping.
The food line, seniors first...spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, and dessert...when one crockpot runs out, there are more waiting in the kitchen to replace it...these boys can eat!
Senior boys get seated first at the senior table: John, Matt, Mike, Kiernan, Sean, Tyler, Fillipo.
The up and coming classes...I promised Jimmy I would put this photo in of them...Jimmy, Clayton, Elliot, all outstanding CHS swimmers ready to take over when the seniors depart.
Each year the seniors from the previous year send an encouraging letter for the team and the current seniors read these letters aloud, much fun and a great time for the boys. Letters from Nik, Daniel, Johnny, Matt F., Cheffy, and Charles were read by (left to right) Eric, Tyler, Mike, John, Matt, Kiernan, Cameron, Fillipo, and Sean.
Another tradition. The senior boys man the hair clippers, giving the underclassmen very strange hair cuts, each unique, different, and without a bit of consent or not from the owner of the hair. It's tradition. The Seniors then hand the clippers over to someone they trust to clip their own hair, again, the person clipping gets to choose the new hairstyle. Matt cut Jonathan's hair and in turn Jonathan cut Matt's hair. I think you will agree that normally Matt would not let Jonathan anywhere near his head with a pair of clippers.
I knew when they started that nothing good would come of these two being let loose with a pair of clippers on each others' hair. The boys sported these fancy hairdos at school the next day and then to sectional prelims on Thursday last and by Friday morning, the hair was gone, and we have the official state haircut for boy swimmers: the buzz.
Despite the silly hairdos, the boys were all very serious at sectionals and managed to take first in every event but one, ending up with 21 swims, a large number indeed, with 11 CHS boys going to state.
At Sectionals Matt placed 4/4 in first place finishes for his swims so he is looking good going into state this weekend. All the same, keep the fingers crossed and the thoughts good and positive as we all know: any swimmer can beat any other swimmer at any pool on any given day. It happens. Go, Matt, Go Carmel...looking for another state win for the team this year. Here are some photos from sectionals. Let the serious busines of swimming begin...Matt getting ready to swim the 200 Freestyle, he won this swim at state last year so this is his goal to win it again this year.
Finished and waiting for the rest of them to swim in...a good start to the meet for Matt and also Kiernan and Peter...finishing 1, 2, and 3.
And the 100 Freestyle, again Matt, Peter, Jonathan finishing 1, 2, and 3, with Max in 6th. (Although Peter swims for a different high school, he is in the CSC USA Swim Club and he and Matt joined the team at the same time, Matt was 7 and Peter was 6, so although he isn't technically a CHS swimmer, he is still one of "ours" from the swim club.)
And, at this point in the meet, someone just lost track of taking stills during the relays...that would be me. The CHS 200 freestyle relay (Matt, Jonathan, Vic, and Roma) took first and the CHS 400 freestyle relay (Matt, Kiernan, Jonathan, and Max) also took first. There should be photos but sometimes one just gets all caught up in the cheering at relay time and picture taking goes by the wayside. Oops.
I did get a photo of the guys with the sectional trophy, one very happy team! That would be Matt in the center holding the trophy.
And, of course, the Lovely Reyn was around to help celebrate...Matt sporting his new Valentine's Day gift shoes from her, very wild and fun Nike customs which he is thrilled with, and because girlfriends are just so thoughtful and sweet, a package with balloons and inspirational messages to be opened one a day for this week leading to state (accompanied by candy kisses)...and Coach Chris, if you are reading this, Matt is saving all that candy for AFTER state...this week it's nutrition at its finest only this week, no candy for the candy-loving kid. And, thanks for all you have done to get the boys this far...Go Greyhounds, or as my Louisiana friend Margaret says it, "Geaux Greyhounds!"