Irish Swimmers on Quite a Run

Success in the pool is nothing new at Rosemount High School, but the boys swimming and diving team is currently closing in on an amazing mark. The Irish are two dual meet wins away from their fourth consecutive South Suburban Conference championship, and from completing a run of four straight seasons without a conference loss.

That means the team's seniors will have gone their entire careers without a loss in South Suburban competition, with their only “blemish” being a tie in a meet last season.

“We had a good group in 2000, but this is the strongest core group we've had since then,” coach Patti Wegner said.

And the group might take down a record or two, maybe even a state championship before they're done.

The individual with possibly the best shot at doing both is senior Jacob Stern.

“He's a workhorse,” Wegner said. “He's got great focus and he's a hard worker. We've got a lot of guys who work hard, but he's obviously above the rest (in that area).”

Stern was the state runner-up in the breaststroke last season as a junior behind Edina senior Max Cartwright. That makes Stern the favorite in the event this year, which suits him just fine.

“Being in front there's kind of a target on your back,” said Stern, who already holds the team record in the event, having taken over the top spot from his older brother, David.

His coach said she can't imagine him caving under the pressure.

“I think he'll do well (with the pressure),” Wegner said. “He's a pretty easygoing guy.”

Stern was also part of boys 200 yard medley relay team that was also second at state a year ago. That quartet—which also includes Braden McCormack, Luke Dowell and Conor Manning—will have its work cut out for it at state, as the Eden Prairie unit they were runner-up to last season consisted of three sophomores and a junior.

“For state it's us and Eden Prairie (in the medley),” said Dowell, who swims the butterfly leg of the relay.

Manning swims the freestyle leg of the medley relay, meaning it's ultimately up to him to bring home the victory.

“There's a little more added pressure, and I like that feeling,” Manning said, admitting that in a lot of the team's dual meets, the race is more or less already won by the time he hits the water.

“We're not really tested in the conference, but we're tested at the big meets,” McCormack said.

Manning said the relay's success is the result of a lot of hard work, specifically on some of the more tedious aspects of the race, like turns and exchanges.

“It took a lot of work to get where we are,” he said. “We've spent a lot of hours after practice because we all want to be perfect.”

While Stern and the relay are two of the brightest spots in the Irish lineup, the team has a number of other athletes who are also in the hunt to place at the state meet.

“It's a huge luxury knowing we have a deep team,” McCormack said.