The past couple years have left Piner's swim team as a distant memory in the eyes of the athletic body of the campus. This year, things are going to change. Under the guidance of new Head Coach, Cory Reeder, the Piner High swim team is making waves across the North Bay League. This is a year for change; a year to get noticed; a year to make heads turn; a year to gain the recognition this team deserves; a year to make the league realize that Piner does have a swim team. This is just the beginning. Coach Cory's goal is to grow the team over the next couple years to bring about the success Piner is capable of achieving. The personal accomplishments this team has made during the course of this season have shown that hard work, dedication, and working together as a team can make amazing things happen.
The small team of 13 swimmers have come together this year to break personal records week after week. Many of the swimmers have had to change their season's goals due to surpassing them early in the year. New swimmers, Nikole Wright and Darren Tonks, may have struggled with keeping pace during the first week of practice, but now find themselves right at home in the thick of varsity competition. Distance swimmer, Caitlin Kennedy, managed to drop over a full minute from her 500 yard freestyle since our preseason meet with Elsie Allen. Captain of the boys' varsity team, Tyler Dunkel, floundered in the water while attempting butterfly last year, but has found his rhythm and even managed to make it to the finals at NBL Champioships in the stroke this year. The list of achievements goes on.
The team has received a few new additions since the early part of the season. Jared Furze, freestyle sprinter, joined the team just in time for the Ukiah meet, giving the Boys' Varsity team the their fourth person for the relay events. Former Piner swimmer, Kenny Dearmore arrived part way through the season to assist Coach Cory with the management of the team and shooting video of various events. Veteran swimmer, Bethany Womack, recently stepped out on the deck to join the coaching staff with her wealth of experience as a competitive swimmer.
As we make waves across the North Bay League, the Piner High Swim Team can be heard chanting their new Hawaiian motto: "Go forward, CHARGE, IMUA!"
