Tensions were high on the pool deck last Friday when the Eagan Boys’ Swim and Dive Team took on the Shakopee Sabers. With this being their most competitive meet of the season, the boys had their intensity on overdrive. Captain Ben Linden explained, “This meet was different because we were defending our win streak at our home against a tough competitor.”

From the beginning of the meet, Eagan displayed marvelous support for their teammates, cheering at the end of lanes and giving each other pep talks. Linden said that he would describe the team as “…a big family. Everyone gets along really well and we all look out for each other in and out of the pool.”

The intensity really began to rise during the Varsity 200 Freestyle, the fourth event of the night. It was a very close race from the start, but Colin Kehoe pulled ahead at the end and secured a first place finish for Eagan. The highest intensity event at any meet is the 50 Freestyle. Since it is a short two lengths of the pool, any small mistake can cost you a victory. Freshman Emilio Santoyo-Lopez was swimming for the win in lane three, against a senior from Shakopee. They ended up tying for first place with a time of 22.76. The intensity that was given off by the swimmers on deck in those 23 seconds was amazing. Everyone was yelling and screaming encouragement at Santoyo-Lopez as he was racing and the excitement after he touched the wall was indescribable. Going into the diving section of the meet, Eagan was ahead of Shakopee with a score of 34-28.

Eagan’s JV divers did exceptionally well, with Adi Ambalam and Jacob Frost taking first and second place, respectively. Our Varsity divers also excelled, with Jordan Nguyen, Vessna Lundgren, and Grant Wambold taking the top three spots.

Before the 200 Freestyle Relay, two of the divers put on caps and goggles. Jacob Frost and captain Jordan Nguyen were helping out their team in relays. According to Nguyen, “A couple divers are able to swim in relays by just their natural athleticism. I know I’m able [to] because I will swim if there’s time left at the end of practice.”

In the Varsity 100 Breaststroke, Quenton Steffen blew it out of the water, winning by over four seconds. Then the Varsity 400 Freestyle Relay started. The tension became thicker than it had been the entire meet. When the swimmers left the blocks, the pool filled with noise. Focus, and energy were the only things on the swimmers’ minds, during this fast paced race. Eagan ended up losing this meet to Shakopee by four points. The final score was 95-91. The boys were disappointed with their loss but remained composed and exemplified sportsmanship while shaking hands with Shakopee.