Lady Mules making waves this winter

It was going to be a season where head coach Beth Lewis would just throw a bunch of ideas in the pool and see what would stick.

With a young girls swimming roster in tow, Lewis and her squad entered the 2022-23 season with measured expectations to go along with the athletic talent on hand that needed to figure things out in the water.

So far? The results have been pleasing as the team has now won multiple dual and triangular events (7-2 record in head-to-head competition) and has produced some strong results in the bigger tournaments.

“I believe the click happened for the team because the girls are competitive and they want to learn and know what can make them better,” Lewis said. "They are a strong group of friends so they naturally bring a support system within the team that is undeniable Because of that, they want to help each other get better every day.

“to single out one person with the biggest gains is nearly impossible because everyone has improved at a great rate.”

The swimmers see things coming together in and out of the pool.

“I think that the sport has clicked in a bunch of different places,” sophomore Lily Wilson said as she wraps her first year as a swimmer and diver. “The team has definitely clicked really well and if you aren’t swimming then they are at the end of the pool cheering on their teammates.

“There have been a lot of big jumps throughout the season. Everyone has improved a lot since the beginning of the season and we are still making improvements.”

Freshman Keira Willis noted that things got working well when the veteran swimmers immediately worked to make things easier for the newcomers.

“Returning swimmers were open to helping them and instead of the veteran swimmers pushing the newbies away, we took them under our wings,” Willis said. “The new swimmers asked questions and returners gave answers and pointers.

“I have been swimming for about six years and as a high school team, it definitely isn't common for first-year swimmers, some even being new athletes, to catch up with the veterans as they have. Swimming is a very unforgiving sport. If you can't get the technique, you're bound to struggle.”

Wilson is expecting to see a jump in both the swimming and diving competitions as the postseason approaches.

“As an athlete, the biggest improvement throughout the team has been technique,” Willis said. “We have a large number of girls who have never swum before this season. The new swimmers have improved drastically since the beginning of the season.”

Lewis, who began coaching the program in 2006 and she herself had little experience in the pool herself, has found a commonality with this Lady Mules bunch. she says the team's improvement has a lot to do with the speed of the athletes which comes in handy in the water.

“We are always looking for more speed out of each event,” Lewis said.

The team heads to Springfield this weekend with the Friday Night Fight and Saturday's Glendale Invitational, hoping of making another loud statement on their continued rise.

“This weekend in Springfield will be a lot of fun,” Wilson said. “There will be lots of fun moments and times to remember this weekend. I hope that everyone has a great attitude this weekend and that everyone has a great time.”

Lewis calls the event highly competitive and lends itself to a little fun as well.

“We are hoping for good dive scores and faster state cuts in relays and faster times in all events,” Lewis said. “I want the girls to see an experience some of the best girls in the state and work to get to the level in the near future.”

It’s all about swimming the best one can when the challenges rise to the highest level.

“Before the postseason, I'd like to see improvement specifically in the starts,” Willis said. “The swimming and technique are coming along significantly well, but our starts can still be slow and a bit sloppy.”