Making big waves in Loy Norrix’s athletic accomplishments, the Men’s Swim and Dive team has been kicking toward a very successful season. The team placed second at the Southwest Michigan Athletic Conference (SMAC) finals at Portage Central High School in late February, following a similar success from the women’s team in the fall.
The team faced many opponents at the SMAC finals from all over Southwest Michigan including their cross-town rivals Kalamazoo Central.
At the SMAC tournament, six pool records were broken, and Loy Norrix ended up with many top eight and top 16 finishes. Key performances include first place in the men’s 100 yard freestyle by Andrew Bol, as well as first place in the 400 yard freestyle relay team by Gavin Lepley, Andrew Bol, Ian Wesselhof and Carson Mortimore.
“We all work together and we all push each other to improve,” said junior Ian Wesselhoff. “In practice, we have a lot of chances to race each other. So if there’s someone who’s faster than you, you want to beat, you’re able to practice with them and you can work to get up to their speed and then faster in practice.”
The team has had many accomplishments this year. They went nearly undefeated and ranked top 50 in Michigan for the 2025-2026 season. They also ranked 22nd in the Division One Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) state meet this past weekend.
The key performances from states were the three podium finishes. Isaac Patrick placed fifth in diving finals, Gavin Lepley placed eighth in the 100 yard breaststroke finals and Andrew Bol placed 15th in the 100 yard freestyle finals.
“Swimming is a difficult sport, but is one of the most rewarding,” says Wesselhoff. “It is one of the best teams I’ve ever been a part of. It is an amazing experience.”
