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Emilija Mikalauskaite

Chris Eckhardt, junior, gets ready to push off the block for yet another race. After swimming his event, Eckhardt gets back into the pool with his team and continues swimming warm-ups. “The Jugmen as a team did better [now] than last year and we all took a step in the right direction. Personally, I feel like I did well.” Eckhardt said.

Five Homestead boys swimmers will be competed at the state championship meet in Madison on Sat. Feb. 19.

The relays of the 200 medley and the 200 free relay qualified for state at the sectional meet last weekend. The 200 medley relay consists of Chris Eckhardt, junior, Zach Teplin, freshman, Phillip Zuccaro, junior, and James Guskov, junior, and Eckhardt, Teplin, Patrick Norman, senior, and Guskov will compete in the 200 free for the Highlanders.

For Norman, the honor of getting to swim at state is proof of his hard work. This season, his senior season, is his first season as a varsity swimmer, and now he will be capping off four years of Homestead Swimming at state.

“At the beginning of the season going to state was just a fantasy. The best thing about it is that I don’t have to end the season yet. The season has been a blast, so I’m glad I get this extra week to hang out with my pals,” Norman said.

This team is special for the Highlanders because of the talent that so many individuals have. “All of these guys are prime time swimmers. We are all very excited, this is one of the strongest teams Homestead has had over the last few years,” Eckhardt said.

Not only are they talented, but the boys have a bond that make the team environment even more rewarding to be on. “This team is so much fun to be with. I don’t think I could name a team who has as much fun as we do at meets and in practice. While we work hard, we also joke around all the time with Mark (the head coach) and each other,” Teplin said.

Two swimmers qualified as individuals: Eckhardt and Teplin. Eckhardt will be swimming in the 200 IM and the 100 back. Eckhardt’s goal for the season had been to qualify in the 100 back. Teplin, a freshman standout, will take on the state tournament for the first time and swim the 200 free and the 100 fly along with his relay swims.

Teplin set a goal for himself at the beginning of the season to be able to make it to state as a freshman, an impressive feat in itself. He realized that he would have a chance after seeing the scores that qualified for state last year.

“Since the beginning of the season, the five of us between the two relays have all worked hard to go. Overall, I was really excited to find out I’d be swimming multiple races for Homestead, both individually and in team events,” Teplin said. “Going into the meet I’m just looking forward swimming fast and having fun. The hardest part of this experience is qualifying for state, so now that we’ve made it we’ve all been enjoying the past week and looking forward to tomorrow.

This team only had three seniors, which makes the upcoming seasons all the more promising. Four of the five swimmers competing at state will return next year, so they are looking to have even more successful seasons in the future.

“Being a freshman, I hope I’ll have more opportunities to go, so this time I really just want to take it all in and swim well,” Teplin said.