Swimmers have great expectations

Badger North Conference championships have become the norm inside Sauk Prairie/Wisconsin Heights boys swimming program. And this year could be more of the same. The Eagles — who have won four straight league titles and finished ninth at the WIAA Division 2 state meet last year — welcome back a gifted group. Sauk Prairie/Wisconsin Heights also welcomes a talented freshman class that’s expected to add depth. The Eagles opened their season Tuesday against Watertown, and expectations were sky high once again. “I expect us to be strong again, yes,” Sauk Prairie coach Todd Wuerger said. “The guys returning from last year are bigger and stronger and adding seven new freshmen is a pleasant surprise.   “A few of the newcomers weren’t on my radar, so it’s great to see continued interest in the boys’ swim program. I was expecting a dropoff in numbers from last year’s team, but we’re at 23 which is awesome.” The Eagles welcome back six swimmers that reached the state tournament a year ago. That group includes seniors Sam Beattie, Zach Guentherman and Adam Stecker, juniors Ryan Godwin and Matthew Loy, and sophomore Sam King. King recorded the best individual performance for Sauk Prairie/Wisconsin Heights at state last year when he placed fifth in the 100 breaststroke. King also led off the Eagles’ fourth-place 200 freestyle relay that included Stecker and Loy. Loy tied for eighth place at state in the 200 freestyle and was 11th in the 100 freestyle. He also anchored the 12th place 400 freestyle relay that also included Beattie and Godwin. Guentherman, who qualified for state in three swims, swam on the Eagles’ 200 medley that included King and Stecker and finished 10th. Guentherman also placed 13th in the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke events. In addition, Beattie was 14th in the 500 freestyle and 16th in the 200 freestyle. Junior Evan Leece and senior Jackson Shavlik narrowly missed qualifying for state last year and will be key pieces this winter. “We have a lot of guys that are multi-dimensional in the races they can do, which will make writing lineups fun because we’ll have a lot of interchangeable parts,” Wuerger said. “Opposing teams won’t necessarily know where we’re putting our guys in the lineup, plus it keeps things fresh for our swimmers, too, so they don’t burn out of competing in the same races every meet.” The freshman class of Nick Dunnum, Kaleb Hansen, Andrew King, Daniel Klein, Dylan Quayle, Anthony Rosario and Finn Ruyle should also help immediately.   “They will add some much-needed depth to this year’s lineups with the loss of last year’s graduating seniors,” Wuerger said. Wuerger knows this will be a season unlike any other. There could be stoppages along the way. Most meets will be duals, not invitationals. And getting to the end of the year could be tricky. But Wuerger and the Eagles are thankful for the chance to compete — and plan to make the most of it. “Since our season started two weeks later than usual the only concern I have is whether we’ll get through the season without any other interruptions,” he said.  “We will work hard and continue reinforcing to the team to be safe and compliant with CDC guidelines so we keep our team healthy, so that part we can control.  “It’s definitely a year none of us can relate to, but every challenge presents an opportunity and I think our guys are grateful for the opportunity to have a season, given that many schools aren’t having a season. So, we are all embracing the season for what it is and will make the most of it.   “And we are all aware that things change by the week, day, hour and minute, so we are prepared for the uncertainty and will adapt accordingly. It will be a test of everyone’s resiliency.”