The Bishop Blanchet swim team will undergo some new changes for the 2014-2015 school year.

In the past, the team was co-ed and took place in the winter. These new changes will include girls swimming in the fall and boys swimming in the winter. Bishop Blanchet was the only school in the Metro league with a co-ed swim team.

Both boys and girls teams will still compete in the Metro league.

“The girls’ change happened because swimming to compete for state in Washington takes place in the fall,” junior Sara Griffin said, “so this gives girls the opportunity to swim at state.”

Another change for next year’s swim team will be its competitors; Roosevelt High School and several other Seattle public schools are moving down to 3A.

“I’m very excited,” Griffin said. It should be a great season.”
Griffin will be the captain of the girls’ team next year, and sophomore Robbie Lorentzen and junior Chris Adkinson will be captains of the boys’ team.

“I have a lot of hopes for next year’s swim team,” Adkinson said. “I think this change will be for the better.”

The Metro League Athletic Directors and Principals decided to split the seasons at the request of the coaches.

This will make Bishop Blanchet swimming consistent with the rest of the state. The co-ed teams grew to be too big to fit in six lanes for a workout.

“These changes will allow us to keep swimming a ‘no-cut’ sport and be able to give more individual instruction during workouts,” 2013-2014 head swim team coach Michael McCloskey said. “We also are looking into adding diving to our program.”

Swim team would love to have some new members join their “updated” team in the coming school year, with the new season attracting a different crowd of people.

Training for swim team will begin right when school starts in the fall.