Last year’s Texan swim team graduated six of its twelve swimmers with only two of the remaining six returning to the pool this season.
Those two athletes, sophomore Cassidy Davis and senior Memphis Wells, serve as leaders and mentors for the very young group. Coach Jill Johnson relies on both to provide encouragement and experience to their teammates. Wells began swimming as a form of physical therapy his freshman year and is finishing out his fourth year on the team.
“Thank goodness I have Memphis. He’s helping guide the younger guys in so many ways,” Johnson said. “He’s talking to them about competing and it’s giving them confidence to step up. I only have four guys in the pool, so every little bit helps.”
The swimmers assembled from a variety of sources. An injured Texan softball player in need of physical therapy due to injury had been encouraged by physicians that swimming was a good activity for strength and range of motion. Three incoming freshmen swim for aquatics director and head swim coach Janet Risser at Springs Family YMCA in Dripping Springs. A couple of others were talked into competition because their friends were participating, including one that has never swum before.
A rebuilding year in sports easily could be written off with lowered expectations, but that isn’t the attitude of Coach Johnson or Texan Swim. Each of the participants practice hard and are improving with each meet. Johnson believes in her relay teams’ ability to reach the regional meet — especially since the UIL now allows the 4A division to compete alone rather than being included in a combined division with 5A schools. “I think that we will succeed. We have numerous kids that can qualify out of their events,” Johnson shared. “There’s a lot of potential. I feel really good about our chances this year and going forward. As these kids grow and stick with it, they’re going to keep getting better. Imagine what this team could look like in two or three years.”
The team competes this weekend and again on Jan. 7. These are the last competitions before UIL meets begin with the district meet in mid-January, followed by regionals on Jan. 27–28. The 4A state meet takes place Feb. 9–10 in San Antonio at the Josh Davis Natatorium and Bill Walker Pool.
