Zach Soper set the bar so high at last year’s WIAA Division 2 swimming finals that it was hard to imagine what he could possibly do for an encore.
Yet, here he is, preparing for the final meet of an illustrious career at Shawano Community High School, in position to write his name in the record books again.
Soper, the defending state champion in the 100-yard butterfly and the 100-yard backstroke, advanced to Friday night’s state finals by posting the best qualifying times in both events Feb. 14 at the Stevens Point Sectional. He swam 51.65 to win the 100 fly and won the 100 backstroke going away, as his 50.38 was a whopping five seconds faster than the next-fastest qualifier.
“I didn’t swim as fast as I could in the butterfly,” Soper said. “It wasn’t my best race, but I’m ready for this weekend. I’m going to work hard and do whatever I can to win. If I do swim my best race and get beat, I can’t be too disappointed, because I’ve already won two titles. But I’m excited to have this chance to do it again.”
While it would be unwise to count the 100 backstroke race as in the bag, it is difficult to imagine an opponent lopping off the necessary time to catch Soper.
“Since I’ve already won (titles) in both races, it probably would be a little disappointing if I don’t do it again,” he said. “But I’ll be ready, and I’ll be working hard to win it again. A big thing for me would be to make a run at the state record (48.35, in the 100 back). I really think I can do it.”
The Stevens Point Sectional was a watershed performance for not only Soper, but also the entire Hawks team. Their 253 points put them second in the team competition to winner Ashwaubenon (382) at the 10-team meet — the first time Shawano had ever placed that high in a sectional.
They did this on the strength of some timely big efforts. Of the 21 events the Hawks competed in, they established 16 personal-best times and broke three school records. Soper’s 100-yard backstroke time was a record, as was the 1:43.46 posted by the 200 medley relay team of Griffin Rades, Soper, Rolando Colon and Jake Klister, and the 3:24.04 by the 400 freestyle relay team of Klister, Colon, Rades and Soper.
“I can tell you we weren’t thinking of winning, or setting records,” coach Walberto Colon said. “We concentrated on fundamentals and technique — focusing on what we were doing, not what the other swimmers were doing.”
Colon, who is also bringing Adrian Tetting to Madison for possible duty on one of the relays, has enjoyed tremendous success with this year’s team, which did not lose a meet in its own pool.
“I have 100 percent confidence in whoever we have in the relays,” he said. “They do a good job of motivating each other. They’ve put in the work, and now they have to apply themselves, get themselves in the right frame of mind.”
The 400 freestyle relay team of Soper, Klister, Rades and Rolando Colon are no strangers to the state finals, having qualified last year.
“It’s going to help that we’ve been there,” Rolando Colon said. “After we qualified last season we had a pretty good idea that we’d be back again. But it will be more sentimental this time, because it’s (the seniors’) last meet.”
The team will be sent off amid some appropriate fanfare at school Friday afternoon just before their departure to Madison.
“I can’t put into words what this season has meant,” Walberto Colon said. “It’s very emotional. I wanted to ensure that these kids became men. They have made me very proud.”
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