High School Swimming Previews

Hawks have sights set on a state title

Matt Metcalf
Posted 1/8/15

Last season marked the first time in 25 years that the Bishop Hendricken swimming team didn’t win the state championship, but it’s confident that it’ll bounce back this season.

“We want …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in
High School Swimming Previews

Hawks have sights set on a state title

Posted

Last season marked the first time in 25 years that the Bishop Hendricken swimming team didn’t win the state championship, but it’s confident that it’ll bounce back this season.

“We want to get it back,” head coach Dave Hanson said of losing the title last season. “That’s out number one goal this season.”

Hendricken lost five good swimmers to graduation from last year’s team, but it will return a core group of kids that will have the opportunity to carry the Hawks to the top of the state once again.

The one thing that Hanson says that he doesn’t have is someone who will be dynamic in the breast stroke. Besides that, Hendricken doesn’t have a weak spot.

The Hawks have many versatile swimmers that can compete in a number of different events, which makes Hanson believe that his team will have the most depth in the state.

Hendricken will rely heavily on a sophomore, Max Miranda, who has impressed Hanson immensely in just over a year in the program.

“He can swim anywhere against anyone,” Hanson said. “He’s the most outstanding swimmer that I’ve been around. He’s absolutely amazing.”

Joining Miranda as main contributors will be Marc Andrews, John Beretta, Brendan Crowe, Evan Kortick, Michael Lupino, Gianfranco Paterno, Troy Pina, Owen Schriber and Lucas Stencel.

Andrews will be one of the Hawks’ top swimmers in the 100 butterfly and freestyle events, as will Beretta.

Crowe, a junior, is extremely versatile as well and will slot into many races such as the 200 free, 500 free and sprint freestyle.

Cortick, a senior, is another versatile swimmer that can contribute in many different areas.

Lupino is only a freshman, but Hanson believes that he can do well in sprinting events if he continues to work hard.

Paterno is one of the team’s seniors and Hanson will be looking for improvements from him from last year to this year.

Schriber and Pena – both sophomores – should both contribute in some capacity this season as well. Pena is settling into the program after transferring from Seekonk High School.

Stencel, a freshman, has impressed Hanson already in his brief high school career.

He will compete mainly in the back stroke and has already gotten some scores early in the season that would’ve placed well at the state meet last year.

The Hawks are already trending in the right direction, winning their first dual meet of the season at Barrington in mid-December.

Hanson believes that it’s tough to gauge how good a team really is through the dual meets and made it clear that the Hawks have their sights set on the bigger meets.

But an early indicator of how good they could be this year came in their annual alumni meet earlier this season.

With all of the consecutive championships that Hendricken has compiled in recent year, one can imagine that the Hawks’ alumni team wasn’t half bad.

Hanson was impressed in his current team’s showing, as Hendricken beat its alumni for the first time in five years.

The dual meet season may not be a huge indicator of how good a team is, but the Hawks will get into the thick of their schedule this month.

Hendricken has five Division I dual meets in the month of January, highlighted by a match-up against the team that ended its streak, Smithfield, on January 30.

Hanson knows a championship team when he sees one – as he’s seen quite a few – and seems to be excited about the potential of this year’s team.

The Hawks should be in good shape this year and over the next few years, as the team only has three seniors on their 29-man roster.

Hendricken’s streak of 24-straight state titles is history, but it’ll have the opportunity to begin a new streak starting with this season.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here