The Kingwood High School Varsity Swim Team had some monumental moments at their final meet of the season: the UIL 6A State Meet. Spirits were high, and the team delivered their best work of the season. All of their grueling 5:45 AM practices have paid off! Coach Mike Robinson could not be prouder of his athletes and has said the following:
“I am extremely proud of how we swam at state. Our kids stepped up on the biggest stage, proved how mentally tough they are, and showed the importance they place on the pride they have in our program. Our girls finished 5th and accomplished something we haven’t since 2020, have all 3 relays qualify for the A final. Our guys absolutely swam lights out, earning a 4th place finish and snagging a flag for the 7th consecutive season.”
The swimmers put in loads of effort at this meet, with some achieving huge accomplishments. The most notable swims/swimmers from our boys were:
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- Eddie Jin (senior): shattering school record in the 200 freestyle and placing 3rd, securing another 3rd place finish in the 100 backstroke
- Tyler Grafmiller (junior): highest finish at the meet for KHS, 2nd place in the 50 freestyle with the second fastest time in program history, 5th place finish in the 100 freestyle
- Boys 200 Freestyle Relay (Eddie Jin, Johnny Durkan, Blane Gerth, Tyler Grafmiller): 3rd place finish
- Boys 200 Medley Relay (Eddie Jin, Tyler Grafmiller, Billy Krebs, Trevor James): Automatic All-American qualifying time
And the best from our girls:
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- Lizzie Watson (Senior): 4th place in the 100 backstroke, 8th in the 200 freestyle with the 3rd fastest time in KHS history
- Ava Casperson (Senior): 5th place finish in the 500 freestyle with the second fastest swim in KHS history. 14th place 200 freestyle
- Girls 200 Medley Relay (Lizzie Watson, Emma Heun, Lauryn Bingley, Audrey Kalvaitis): 8th place finish
- Girls 200 Freestyle Relay (Audrey Kalvaitis, Lauryn Bingley, Ava Casperson, Audrey James): 5th place finish
- Girls 400 Freestyle Relay (Sophia LeMaire, Christina Donahue, Ava Casperson, Lizzie Watson): 7th place finish
The Relay Girls (Mr. and Mrs. Bingley) 
Ava Casperson Prepares for the 500 Free (Mr. and Mrs. Bingley)
These athletes have worked incredibly hard this swim season at every meet. This season was not without challenges, but the KHS Varsity Swim Team overcame every single one. Coach Robinson left this heartfelt quote regarding this season:
“This team has been such a pleasure to coach that overall the biggest challenge has been to ensure they are just getting what they need from a training perspective. I won’t say there haven’t been any speed bumps along the way, but overall this team has flourished while working together and believing in each other to maintain a strong culture which is at the core of our program’s success.”
Every member of this swim team feels a sense of belonging and culture, and spending an entire season with fellow teammates strengthens the bonds between athletes. Going into the off-season period, the swimmers will still be working hard to prepare for next year. As our seniors depart from the team, the juniors are expected to take on leadership. Coach Robinson describes this as “The most difficult part of entering into every offseason”, claiming that “We look forward to growing new leaders and continuing to build upon the positive culture we have built over the past few years”.
The 2023-2024 season was overall a huge success for the Kingwood Varsity Swim Team. All athletes had to put in the work to see the success the team saw this year. Thanks to Coach Robinson, Kingwood has always dominated and always will. Go Mustangs!
