By Jordan Bickham
Staff Writer
With records broken and many members who got to compete in regionals, the Coppell varsity swim team has definitely had a very successful season. Not only has the team had an incredible season, but it has one swimmer standing out from the rest with junior Hayden Henry.
Henry leaves today for the UIL State Swimming and Diving Meet in Austin and was sent off today along with the wrestling and AcDec groups. But even though Henry was the only member to make it all the way, his teammates are already prepared to cheer him on.
“We’re like a family, we’re really close,” sophomore varsity swimmer Maddie Smith said. “We’re so weird, but we’re close and so much like each other, so we work perfectly together.”
Not only are they a great team when it comes to swimming, but also a wonderful support system and family when needed.
“I basically think of them as my second family,” junior swim team member Lauren Kuechler said. “We always have fun together and we have a lot of team parties where everyone hates leaving.”
The team members are close with each other and also with their coach Patrick Henry, who has led his son to state and the rest of the team through an incredible season.
“He’s a really good coach that pays attention to little details, not the big picture, but the little details and little tweaks that’ll make you go faster and move more smoothly through the water,” Kuechler said. “He’s serious, but we still have fun while doing it.”
With Coach Henry, it’s not hard to believe that both the boys and the girls swim teams have had an incredible, record-breaking season this year.
“Our team has actually done really well this season compared to seasons before,” said Smith. “Our coach has even said that this has been the best season he’s had since he’s been here.”
Hayden Henry has surpassed the rest by breaking the 200 freestyle record last year with a time of 1:46:34, by having seven of the total 14 best times for this past season for the boys varsity team, and for also qualifying for state. But the journey to even simply qualify wasn’t easy and was a difficult process.
“First, there was a district meet where the top six in each event go to regionals,” Henry said. “At regionals, this is where it gets really hard, there’s many schools there and usually only the top two go on to state, but if you win Regionals, you automatically get to go.”
Most of his team will be in Austin to cheer him on and be the great support system they’ve always been.
“I win normal meets, I don’t mean to sound boastful or anything, but these are the fastest people from all around the state and only two or three of the swimmers there are from our region,” Henry said. “Actually, a lot of them are from Southlake, so I’m going to know some people there, but not nearly as many as I’ve known at other meets around here.”
But even with state looming ahead, Henry still reflects on his team’s success this past season including many broken records, fun times and great meets.
“It’s definitely been our best season, especially for the guys,” Henry said. “We set all three of the relay records, I’ve set a lot of records, and Chanin has as well. Also, at district, last year we got seventh and this year we got second to Southlake and at regionals last year, we got 11th and this year we moved up to seventh. This is the best year I’ve had at Coppell.”
Not only is the boys’ team doing well this season, but the girls are also doing great, with hopes that many will go to state next season.
“We’re dropping a lot of time at district and it was really fun and exciting,” Kuechler said.
The team has no doubt that Coach Henry will be able to take them the extra mile to achieve entrance to the state competition next year for many of them.
“I definitely hope to make it to state next year, especially because we’re in a new region since it was all remapped,” Smith said. “So our coach said that hopefully we’ll all make it to state, or at least a lot of us will.”
