When thinking about the FHC boys swim and dive team, one word comes to mind: drive. From day one, the wins and the losses have only pushed the boys to work as hard as they can.

Last weekend, the boys faced off against multiple opponents at the West Michigan Relays. The team came in seventh place with a total of 244 points, placing behind Caledonia, Lowell, and South Christain. 

Senior Andrew Kerssies is proud of what the boys have achieved but is aware of how they can improve. 

“As a whole, I feel the team can work on getting to practice on time and being motivated more often,” Andrew said. 

Through every practice and every meet, the boys are pushing themselves to be better in order to improve overall as a team. 

Head coach Dennis Neat recognizes the work the boys have put in and is especially proud of the freshman and how they have been carrying the weight during this season. 

“It’s difficult to speak to one person, so I would have to say the freshman class,” coach Neat said when asked about who has stepped up. “We have 5 individuals who are friends and classmates that all decided to join this program, and what they have been able to do together will help as the season goes along”.

One of the beginners, freshman Zachary Ruffer, is aware of what the boys have as an advantage against the other teams they will face off against.

“I would say the strengths that we had going into the meet was the ability to know what to expect and how to accomplish the challenge in front of us,” Zachary said.  

The boys’ next meet is Tuesday, December 28, at 11:00 AM. Make sure to make it out to the Zeeland invite to see the boys swim circles around multiple opponents. 

“It’s always about the next meet,” coach Neat said. “We have a limited amount of time to reach individual goals, so it’s important for us to remain focused and be ready for the next meet.”