Conquering the pool and crushing their foes, Bingham Swim Team competed in regionals last week. The Bingham boys took first place and girls took second place at region. 

The boys’ 200 free relay team beat the school record, going a 1:30.67 time and beating the record by .48 seconds. They almost beat the record on the 400 free relay by dropping six seconds, but missed it by two seconds. 

Several people beat their personal record and dropped time at regionals, including seniors AJ Kennedy, Caleb Mathews, Izzy Nielsen, Aubrey Reidhead, and Nate Rock; juniors Kaycee Ellison, Sophie Pecoraro, and Katelyn Reidhead; sophomores Shaye Anderson, Natalie Hymas, Spencer Jeppson, Tyler Rock, Ethan Scott, and Mitchell Sorensen; and freshmen Caleb Scott and Malia Scott.

The season ends with a bang as State is coming up on Feb. 19 and 20. Watch the stream from Kearns’s pool and support your school and friends as they compete for the last time this season. 

Bingham’s swim team has been different than previous years because of more than just COVID-19; the swim team had their pool shut down and got all new coaches. After a late start to the season, they now practice at Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center with Rachael Gill and Cody Jacobson coaching. 

The new coaches have offered a new perspective to help improve the team’s stroke. They have placed a heavy emphasis on working on good technique in swimming and helping the team be more efficient with speed when racing. 

“Good technique in this sport is the difference between being okay at swimming and being exceptional,” said Coach Jacobson. “Technique is really 100% of the sport.”

Improving the technique, rather than the brute strength, of a swimmer helps the athlete go farther with less effort. They do a lot of drills to help their swimming be better and faster. Some are really hard to do because the brain and body are hardwired to stroke a certain way, and some are really funny making the whole team laugh and draw together. 

Bingham’s swim team has a reputation for being the loudest cheerers. In the past, they would move as a herd to the end of the lanes to cheer on their teammates; however, this is not possible to do safely with COVID-19 on the loose, but they still cheer just as loud while being safe. They make sure that everyone racing has someone who is cheering on the sidelines and egging them on to go faster. 

“I’m most proud of the unity and camaraderie found among the swimmers,” said Coach Gill. “Their success and undefeated season is a result of their unity as a team.”

Meets have been canceled and rescheduled left and right all season as they try to get good times to qualify for state, but the team has been resilient. Bingham has triumphed over every team they’ve competed against.