Somerville High Winter Sports Preview: Swimming

With the 2011-12 Somerville High winter season about to begin, Somerville Patch will be previewing all seven of the Highlander teams. Unsure how the Highlanders did last year? Want to know who might impact the upcoming season? Just want to know when the first game is? Read on and find out.

Co-ed swimming

2010 record: 7-5 overall; 2-4 in Greater Boston League

In swimming, sometimes all you need are bodies in the water. Highlander swimming coach Mike Williams says last season’s team succeeded because the core group of seniors—especially Caio Azevedo and Roberto Douardo—were always willing to swim extra races, no matter how tired they were.

“We didn’t have a whole lot of depth [last year],” Williams said. “We had a lot of seniors that were willing to do stuff like that: get in there and score those extra points for the team, make sure that every swim was contested.”

With few swimmers this season mechanically strong enough to compete in multiple strokes, Williams says depth is definitely a worry.

“We may actually be at a point where we don’t have enough experienced swimmers to compete in all the events,” Williams says.

Williams adds that the Highlanders should still be strong in the individual medley races.

First 2011 game and home opener: Monday, 12/19 vs. Medford at , 3:30 p.m.

Players to watch: Cam Kostopoulous, senior breaststroker.

“I’m outside-hopeful that he’ll qualify for either Sectionals or States,” Williams says. “He’s been making a lot of improvement the last couple of years in bringing his times down.”

Rachel Berry, sophomore backstroker.

“She’s been doing a nice job on her backstroke,” Williams says. “Hopefully we can fix a few things in that and get that down. She’s competed well at the GBLs the last couple of years.”

Key to the season: Conditioning

“If we can get our conditioning level up quickly, we’ll be able to … swim back-to-back events, back-to-back-to-back events,” Williams says. “Help give us a little depth, stretch us out.”