Editor’s Note: Knox Noble, who was interviewed for this article, is a member of Broadcast Journalism, but was not involved in the writing or editing of this article.
On Feb. 14, the New Trier High School boys swimming and diving team placed No. 1 at their Central Suburban League (CSL) conference meet at Glenbrook South High School. In a league of their own with a score of 408.5, the Trevians ousted Evanston Township High School, who scored 277.5, and Glenbrook South, who took No. 3 with 257. The divers completed their dives at the New Trier Winnetka Campus, separately from the swimmers. This meet marked the final time the entire 32-person roster would have the opportunity to compete prior to time cuts for the upcoming sectional meet on Feb. 21.
The team was led by senior Jared Goldstein, sophomore Everett Pumphry, and junior Charlie Sears, who earned No. 1 in the 100 Fly, 500 Free, and both the 200 and 400 Free Relay, respectively. Additionally, senior Knox Noble placed No. 2 in the 1M Dive, followed by senior Charlie Coniff who received No. 4. Success at this meet occurred after months full of victories: during the regular season, the varsity team won all but one of their duel meets and invitationals, boasting a 11-1 record.
Goldstein— a 4-year varsity member, Emory University commit, and one of the leading swimmers on the team—emphasized the importance of the conference meet for team members who will not compete at the sectional or state meet, calling it “their final hurrah.”
“It’s really their meet to shine, and we were there to just put our heads down and race,” Goldstein said. “Whatever we did in the water, we got out and acted like that’s what we wanted. Whether it was good or bad.”
Prior to high-pressure meets like CSL conference, the team “tapers,” meaning their workouts become shorter, less frequent, and with less yardage, cutting lifts and morning practices that usually occur in addition to after school practices. Different taper groups were made for the conference, sectional, and state meets in order to benefit swimmers who need the rest to improve their times.
“I’d say the intensity they’re at like today, tomorrow and Friday will be 50% of what we’ve been doing throughout the year,” 12-year head coach Josh Runkle said. “It’s just gradually lowering the intensity of the volume. We get focused on just fine tuning some things and stuff like that.”
As stress rises and the environment becomes even more competitive in the conference, sectional, and state meets, Goldstein emphasizes the value in “just putting your head down and racing,”being confident in your ability and training.
“Once you dive into the water, you just want this to be your best race, and not to beat others around you even,” Goldstein said. “It’s just swimming your best race that allows you to beat others. That’s what’s gonna help us in the future…I just wanted to go into that meet just to see what I could do. “
Noble, a Boston College committed diver, echoed Goldstein’s same sentiment, emphasizing the value of having the “mind of a goldfish,” in and out of the pool.
“I just have to keep myself mentally focused and zoned in on what I need to do just for that dive,” Noble said. “If I have a bad dive at the beginning of the meet I can’t let that control the rest of my meet. You have to do it and then forget about it because you can’t really do anything else to change anything.”
According to Goldstein, confidence has been particularly important for the team as they are a young group and have relied significantly on seniors to step into new roles and fill the shoes of last year’s graduated swimmers. Winning 11 out of 12 meets has helped the Trevs gain faith in themselves and see their full potential.
“It gave them a feeling of confidence and hopefully that they belong there,” Runkle said. “They deserve to be there. They worked really hard. They’re talented athletes and have great, positive attitudes about things.”
With sectionals on Feb. 21 at Niles North High School, the team will rely on their depth, leadership, and energy to take as many swimmers as possible to the state meet on Feb. 27-28 at FMC Natatorium in Westmont, Illinois.
“Our kids are really good,” Runkle said. ”We have a lot of kids who are interchangeable. So it’s about finding the right combinations on the right days.”