After multiple years of sustained success, Franklin’s swim and dive team has grown accustomed to Mountain Six Conference titles. A few weeks after the first sports kickoff the North Carolina High School Athletic Association season, the team will begin its quest for another.
“The boys were conference champs for the third time in a row, and girls were third,” said longtime coach Dwain Picou. “We had some kids make it to regionals and then the state meet, so that was good.”
For the past 17 years, Dwain and his wife Dina have coached FHS’s swim team into a top-notch program in NCHSAA-2A, and the team’s roll shows no signs of slowing. While successful high school teams often lose key athletes to graduation, this year the Panthers have no such problem.
“Last year we had zero seniors, boys or girls,” said Dwain. “It was unusual. When we started four years ago we had zero ninth-graders, which was very, very odd. Then we had zero sophomores and zero juniors, so all of our kids are coming back, plus we added some really good kids on both teams. If we have a season, we’re going to be faster – knock on wood – than we were last year and a more well-balanced team.”
While the Panthers should boast a very fast team this year, this offseason has by no means been a walk in the park. Due to this year’s COVID-19 shutdowns, at least one of Franklin’s swimmers missed out on a key summer training regimen.
“It has definitely slowed it down,” said senior Olivia Stahl, one of the team’s leaders this season. “We only got to have a couple practices a week, and not everyone got the chance to come, including myself because I have a high-risk family member, so I wasn’t allowed to participate this summer. … It’s definitely making it not as easy for us, but it’s going to be OK. We’re going to get through it.”
A unique season ahead
When COVID-19 restrictions limited the amount of in-person contact between Franklin’s swimmers this offseason, it essentially truncated the team’s organized practices until preseason workouts begin in November. While the NCHSAA has allowed the state’s swim teams to compete this fall, the season won’t look entirely normal.
“What we don’t have this year that we had last year is that the guidelines won’t let us have big meets – invitational meets we call them,” said Dwain. “Usually we go to three or four of those, which are really big meets and have some really good competition. The Tuscola Invitational will have 12, 14, 15 teams there, so you’ll see a lot of good competition. This year we can’t do that so it’s all dual meets.”
While the shortened season won’t drastically reduce the number of meets Franklin can race in (the team participates in six to eight meets in a normal year), the lack of multi-team meets will limit the level of competition for FHS this season. Although this season presents unprecedented challenges for the Panthers, the team’s coaches are also relieved they get to reunite with their athletes.
“It’s going to be a lot different because of the social distancing and spreading them out,” said Dina. “[We’re] not apprehensive, but I know it’s going to be different. We have to be more careful. It will be different, but I‘m so looking forward to it. We really miss the kids.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic still looming, 2020-21 will be a unique season for FHS athletes. Despite the altered offseason and changes to this year’s competition, swim and dive team athletes expressed resolve for the upcoming season.
“I feel really confident in the girls we have on our team this year,” Stahl said. “I know that we have a few people moving up from the middle schools this year that are very good. … I think that the girls’ team is actually going to be really strong this year.”