After three straight years of placing first at the Iron Invite meet, EHS placed second on Jan. 11. Edwardsville fell short of first with 337 points while Normal West, the winner of the meet finished with 352.5 points.

Although the team placed second overall, they started off the meet rather strong by winning the opening event: the 200-yard medley. 

“Winning the medley relay is always great,” senior Matt Doyle said. “It helps set the tone for the rest of the meet.”

Doyle went on to talk about the importance of relays, saying that they are “huge point scoring events” and that winning as many as they can is crucial. 

The team would not place first in any other categories for the rest of the meet. Senior Logan Mills took second in the 100-yard butterfly while senior McLain Oertle also placed second in the 100-yard breaststroke.

“It was a little disappointing to not win when we won every other year that I’ve been on the team, but it’s also motivating to do better and work harder for the end of the season,” Mills said.

In his case, it was Mills last time at this meet, but for others, their swimming career at EHS has only just begun. 

For sophomore Evan Grinter, this was the first time he swam at what he referred to as a “major meet.” Grinter was a member of the 200-yard medley, along with Doyle, Mills and Oertle.

“I went close to a best time so I’m very excited to see what is to come for the rest of the season,” Grinter said.

This meet is a little different than the rest because six teams competed in it, making it feel more like a sectional, something that all three of them touched on. Most meets only consist of two or three teams, according to Mills.

Although the outcome isn’t what the team wanted, they still got a look into the potential future.

“This meet is different,” Grinter said. “Because we can get a good view at our competition for the rest of the year.”