Seymour’s Katya Cox swims the backstroke in the first leg of the 200 medley relay against Bedford North Lawrence last season.
Tribune file photo
Seymour’s Paul Montgomery at the start of the 50 freestyle race at the swimming sectional last season.
Tribune file photo
The Seymour boys and girls swimming season begins today.
The Owls will be at home for a meet against Madison at 6 p.m. tonight.
Head coach Dave Boggs begins his 39th year at Seymour, and after this winter season, it’ll complete his 46th year overall coaching the sport.
Boggs has coached 13 All-Americans and 61 academic All-Americans.
Last season, Seymour had successful campaigns. The boys went 12-4, while the girls went 13-1-2.
The boys were fourth place in the Hoosiers Hills Conference and placed second overall in the sectional.
Paul Montgomery was the individual sectional champion in both the 50 and 100 freestyles and also in both freestyle relays. He’s just the second swimmer to accomplish that feat in SHS history.
Montgomery, Will Cottrill, Clay Greenawalt and Pedro Cerino Rico set the school record for the 200 free relay last season, and they also competed in the state meet.
Cottrill, Greenawalt and Cerino Rico all graduated, so Montgomery is the only one returning from that group this season.
Other top returnees for the boys this season are Larry Simons in the 200 and 500 freestyles, Grant Smith in the 100 and 200 freestyles and Kaleb Brown in diving.
Seniors for the Owls this season are Brown, Montgomery, Smith and Aaron Drake.
The boys team has an all-time record of 343-153-1.
For the girls team, they finished third in the HHC a year ago and third in the sectional. They graduated key seniors in Samantha Jacobi, Lillian Sunbury, Ellen Zabor, Kaylynn Zarate and Maren McClure, who was the team’s most valuable swimmer last season.
Top returners for the Owls feature Katya Cox in the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke, Kate Connell in diving, Avery Stewart in the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke and Carmyn Wilson in the 100 and 200 freestyles.
Seniors for the Owls this year are Connell, Cox, Grace Lewis, Delaney Delgadillo, Karsen Reasoner and Nicole Rebber.
The girls team has an all-time record of 347-150-4.
Combined, the Seymour swimming program is 690-303-5 for a 69.13 winning percentage.
Assistant coaches on this year’s squad are Dennis Bowers and Mike Dowell.
After the Owls open the season against the Cubs, they will be off one week before hosting HHC foe Jeffersonville next Tuesday.