The Park Hill boys swim and dive team is setting its expectations for the 2025 season with a core group of returning swimmers to lead the program forward.
“Our team expectations are to continually improve and compete for a suburban conference title,” Park Hill head coach Karl Haley said. “We also strive to get as many athletes to the state championship as possible.”
The Trojans have placed in the top four twice in their history, both coming in the mid-2010s. Park Hill is also searching for its first individual state champion since Marcin Glebocki went back-to-back in 2014 and 2015 while also leading the 200-yard freestyle relay team to consecutive state titles.
The boys team graduated two state-qualifying swimmers from last year’s team, but will be led this year by a group of five returning state qualifiers, who helped the Trojans to finish 20th at state. Seniors Jack Vaden and Ricky Hoover return alongside sophomores Rainer Realina and Ronan Waters as well as junior Brady Scamman.
“We have a solid core of swimmers at each level, which will make earning a varsity spot competitive this season,” Haley said. “Hopefully, this will make us a more well-rounded, competitive team.”
The quartet of Waters, Scamman, Hoover and Vaden return to the 200-yard freestyle team. Vaden and Hoover return to a 400-yard freestyle relay that graduated two seniors after last year. Realina and Hoover return to the 200 medley relay team that also graduated a pair of seniors.
In his 24th year as head coach, Haley hopes the returning swimmers take the next step and provide leadership to some incoming freshmen. He hopes to see the trio of Isaac Stewart, Samuel Oetting and Creighton Lopata have an impact early on in the season.