BonnerSprings.com

The Bonner Springs boys swimming team finished the season on a strong note, but BSHS coach Lynn LaNoue couldn’t help but wonder what might have been if a strong bout of sickness hadn’t swept through his team during the season.

Every member of the team missed at least one practice or meet because of illness, throwing off relay teams and individual swims in every meet.

“I thought it was a season full of challenges,” LaNoue said. “We didn’t quite perform the way I had hoped, but I didn’t expect the team to be racked with illness the way we were. Different guys missing all that time made it a little disappointing.”

The Braves had a decent finish down the stretch, placing first at the Wyandotte County meet and finishing third in the Independent League Championships. LaNoue wanted second in the ILC’s and thought they might contend for first, but that was not the case.

There were several positives on the year that show the Braves under LaNoue are moving in the right direction. They were able to beat Bishop Miege, a team that had consistently finished above Bonner in past years.

Then there was senior Alex Sullivan who helped kick-start a new tradition by swimming the “Ironman” — swimming in every event during a single meet. LaNoue hopes the “Ironman” will help build team unity in the future.

Sullivan, along with senior Matt Billie, will both graduate and move on, but the core of the team will return. LaNoue said he hoped the confidence and experience that the younger swimmers gained during the season would help them in the future and increase the expectations inside the program.

“I’m thinking that if everybody returns, my goals will become more lofty,” said LaNoue, the Braves’ second-year coach. “I want to take a group of guys to state, and I think I have some individuals that can go. Maybe not any relay teams, but perhaps if things go right. I need to make adjustments to enable the guys to become better swimmers as I become more accustomed to being the head coach here at Bonner.”

Comments