St. Xavier boys swimming continues to extend historic streak
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BVM) — The St. Xavier boys swimming team knows a little something about winning. Actually, the Tigers know a lot about winning. The program not only owns the most state titles by any high school program in the country with a whopping 56, but it is also tied for the most consecutive state titles in the country with 32 after extending the streak this February.
“Winning the state title was special,” St. Xavier head coach Todd Larkin said. “I really think this team they really were pushing to get points and swim fast enough to maximize the power points for this year’s program.”
This year’s title came in simply dominating fashion for the Tigers. At the Kentucky High School Athletics Association boys state swimming and diving championships, the Tigers captured the title scoring 592 points, a significant amount higher than second place Highlands who finished with 192 points.
“(Winning) pushes us to put the focus on ourselves and I think it’s a real lesson in controlling what you can control,” Larkin said. “Our guys were really locked into performing the little things to the best of their ability and not leaving seconds in the pool. I think that they did a fantastic job of challenging each other and really pushing each other to be the best team they can be.”
The Tigers were led by a strong trio of swimmers, seniors Will Cole and Sungmin Kang and junior Holden Smith, who all won medals during the event. In total, the Tigers won six events including the 200-yard medley relay, the 200 freestyle relay and the 400 freestyle relay to go along with Cole’s victories in the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke and Smith’s wins in the 200 individual medley and the 100 butterfly.
The victory preserved the winning streak and put the program in a tie with the Bolles School boys swimming team in Jacksonville, Fla. for the longest streak for a boys program in the country. Larkin, a former Tiger himself and alumnus of the program, has been at the helm for the past 11 seasons, winning state titles in each year. For Larkin, history plays a big role in coaching, but not because of the streak.
“There is a lot of pride to have been a part of the program, but then also to be the leader of the program,” Larkin said. “It comes down to getting the boys to understand the core values that we’ve established as a team. We don’t talk about the streak a lot. I think the streak just kind of takes care of itself. It is quite phenomenal and it is very inspiring, but we really focus on the day-to-day and try to control what we can control.”
Although he knows the significance in the streak, he also understands the importance of recognizing each year’s team as its own unit separate from the record. The 2019-2020 team is no different.
“We make sure that each team feels their own significance and their own contribution,” Larkin said. “We were obviously highly competitive on both a local and state level, but really I think stepping onto a national stage and kind of trying to bring that prominence to the program was really one of the main focuses of this group.”
Looking to the future, the Tigers will be without two of its biggest leaders. Kang will extend his swimming career to the collegiate level when he joins Yale University’s swim team next year and Cole will also join him in the college ranks at Virginia next season.
However, if the streak has proved anything it is the Tigers can handle turnover. The team will be led by Smith, a University of Alabama swimming verbal commit, following his two individual state titles. Larkin also mentioned junior Jackson Mussler, a University of Kentucky swimming commit, as another name to watch next season as well as the team’s strong sophomore class.
“The future is bright,” Larkin said.
One distinct advantage St. Xavier has over other teams is most of its members have received training by the nearby Lakeside Swim Club, which has produced a number of collegiate swimmers and 10 Olympians in its longstanding history. This swimming pipeline has helped the program not only build success, but maintain it over the past three decades.
“We have a great relationship with Lakeside,” said Larkin who previously coached at the club for 10 years. “They do a phenomenal job. Getting the club structure to work with you is very beneficial.”
With 32 straight state titles, the pressure is on the Tigers to maintain their dominance in the state. Though winning a state title is never easy and is certainly not a guarantee, betting on St. Xavier to win another title next season may be the safest sports bet in the country. They just know how to win. That’s been ingrained in the team for years.
“What’s most impressive to me is how our program buys into the team concept,” Larkin said. “Being a team really matters to them. That team title means so much to each one of those boys. They take great pride in that. It’s part of our tradition. It seems like every state meet they continue to respect that tradition and continue to push even harder.”
