After third place finishes the past two years, the varsity swim team returns back to the podium, taking second place behind the nine-time defending champion Rockhurst Hawklets. For senior Brandon Weissman, the second place finish is worth celebrating.

“It was pretty awesome. We took third the last two years and we were really happy with that, but to finish second my senior year was incredible,” Weissman said.

According to Weissman, the team was at a disadvantage because they lacked divers at the competition, an event that may have changed the outcome of the entire meet.

“Going into the meet we really thought that we had a shot at taking down Rockhurst but we knew that they would have a few divers come out and score a few points for them,” Weissman said. “That ended up being the difference in the meet. Without diving we would have won the swimming portion, but we have to give props to Rockhurst for having the better overall team in the end.”

Even though they weren’t able to outswim Rockhurst, Weissman takes pride in the 203.5 points that the team scored, finishing within 23 points of the Hawklets.

“To make it that close without divers was pretty awesome. To say that our team took second behind Rockhurst with the smallest margin of points of any other team throughout the last nine years is really cool. We would have really liked to get a win but we can’t be upset with anything that we did. It was simply a magical season,” Weismann said.

Junior Zack Rodgers finished his first year as a member of Central’s swim team after moving from Francis Howell Central. Rodgers said that he felt comfortable with the new team.

“The team was really welcoming. We didn’t have any problems getting along,” Rodgers said. Without the seniors our relays aren’t going to be the same. I don’t know what we will do next year, I haven’t really thought about it.”

The Missouri High School Swimming and Diving Championships were held on Nov. 9 and 10 at the Rec Plex in St. Peters.