As cheers crowd the building, swimmers’ minds race with the idea of being a state champion; however, they are surrounded by the fear of failure. These intense situations build incredible athletes and the competitive nature of swimming.
The Tigersharks practiced for countless hours, swam hundreds of thousands of yards, and remained disciplined outside the pool to achieve their goals. With the season at its end, their hard work has paid off after they competed at the state meet on Feb. 21-22, 2025, in Austin, Texas.
“I practiced twice a day with the team and trained separately on my own to prepare for the state competition,” junior Jackson Adams said. “The biggest challenge going into state was not being able to practice in our own pool because of some issues with the chlorine levels.”
To qualify for regionals, swimmers have to place in the top six at the district meet. At regionals, they can then move on to state if they place in the top two in their respective events. Swimmers can also qualify for state through “call-up times,” where UIL releases the next eight fastest times in each event, allowing people in fast regions to swim at state.
“I was relieved when I saw I was qualified for the state meet because I know it’s a privilege to make it to state, but it was an expectation of mine,” senior Max Likins said. “I helped prepare the younger swimmers by telling them what it was like in past years and encouraging them to do their best.”
Along with Likins qualifying for state, Texas High sent the 200 medley relay and the 200 freestyle relay, which contained the likes of juniors Jackson Adams, Austin Cargile, Caleb Lauterbach and senior Max Likins. These relays placed seventh and 13th, respectively, while Likins placed 13th and seventh in his 200 and 500 freestyle.
“Overall, I was very pleased with the results of our state meet. The swimmers swam extremely well in a very high-pressure meet,” Head Coach Eric Vogan said. “One of the biggest challenges for athletes at this level is the intense pressure of the meet itself.”
Between early morning practices and managing their health, swimmers must overcome many hurdles to make it to the state meet. The swim team practices for three hours daily, so getting proper rest remains crucial to their success.
“My biggest challenge going into the state meet was hitting taper because I feel like I didn’t get all the way rested up, and I think I needed more rest going into the state meet,” Likins said. “I think I still performed well at state and got a couple of new best times.”
While the nature of swimming is difficult, stressful, and competitive, people are still driven to sport because of the fantastic memories swimming brings. With all the time swimmers spend together, some of the closest bonds are formed throughout their time as competitive swimmers.
“My favorite part of state was walking out into the A final with the light show and walk-out song,” Adams said. “I had an amazing time at state; it was an amazing experience, and I’m thankful to be able to compete with that group of guys.”
