By: Brody Basler
March 5, 2024
GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan – It was a December day that felt like any other: cold and gloomy, but within the confines of a large natatorium was a Hamilton Swim and Dive team ready to take on some of their toughest competition, only three meets in.
Hamilton finished with two losses that night. East Grand Rapids beat the Hawkeyes 86-69, and the night didn’t end there; they also lost to Holland Christian 79-68, getting closely beaten by two of the best programs in the conference.
Hamilton’s highest scorer of the meet, Jackson Miller, ended up ninth on the list of players based on points scored. Holland Christian had three of the eight highest scorers, with EGR having the other five above Jackson. Carson McIntire had one of the best performances of all the Hamilton players, swimming a 100-yard free in 51.08 seconds.
Hamilton placed 2nd in the 400-yard free relay, 3rd in the 200-yard medley relay, and 3rd in the 200-yard free relay. Eight of the Hamilton swimmers set new personal bests, six set new season bests, and three set new records. While still getting beat, the Hawkeyes put up a good fight till the end and kept the score close.
“[The meet] positively impacted the team because you learn from failure,” Jack Langeland said in an interview. The team stayed true to their style and kept working, never taking their foot off the gas. As they continued from meet to meet, it seemed as if they were getting better and something had changed, but they just kept doing what they always do and getting work done at practice.
While the loss still hurt initially because all teams wanted to win, it helped them even more. Keeping them locked in and ready for the coming meetings. They would go on to beat Thornapple-Kellogg and Holland by a combined score of 197–130.
Soon after, they placed 6th in the HC D3 Invitational. 12 teams were present, and Hamilton placed in the middle of the pack. They would also suffer a tough 12-point loss to Holland Christian the next week, but they kept it close and made them fight for it the whole time.
Next, they breezed past Caledonia and Mona Shores by an amazing score of 133-53 and 130-49. Hamilton dropped 263 points on the two teams in a double dual showing real dominance and that their hard work is paying off.
The following meets just built upon that foundation: the losses were close and the wins felt sweet. Hamilton placed 3rd in the OK Rainbow Championship, and there are high hopes for state.
As the season starts winding down, we can truly see the team’s improvement. After beating their first four teams in their opening duals, they placed 5th in the Northview Invitational and dropped a close one to Hudsonville. We got to the meet that changed it all, or more so, nothing. They just did what they always do: worked hard at practice, paid attention to the little things, and never gave up. They stuck to the Hamilton core values and had grit no matter what was happening.
When asked if the team grew in the weeks following the EGR tri-meet, Jack Langeland said, “We didn’t really grow; we just kept pressing and kept doing everything right. We only lost that meet due to talent. We don’t end up fast till the end of the season during taper.” With several talented swimmers and divers heading to state this weekend, hopes are high for a strong end to an excellent season.