Waiting to step up onto the starting block, competing against the fastest swimmers in Michigan, their hearts racing. Some of the boys varsity swimmers were feeling this as they were at MISCA’s on Feb. 10 .

“As a whole I think our team did really well,” junior Evan Bartow said. “We had some great swims including our 200 medley relay which we were able to get our state cut in.”

State cut for 200 medley relay is a 1:44.19. Managing to get the cut, juniors Bartow, Spencer Gabler, Noah Maier and sophomore Joel Diccion, received a 1:44.16.

“It really wasn’t that nerve wrecking waiting to get the results,” Bartow said. “As you see your time which is really the biggest deal about MISCA because MISCA has teams from D1, D2 and D3 and placing doesn’t really get you anything but knowing your time is because then you see if you got a state cut or how close you are to one.”

Bartow swam a 2:04.52 in the 200 IM and in the 500 free he went a 4:55.26. He was a couple seconds off of his personal best in the 200 IM.

“I was a little nervous at this meet because this is really the first time that I have really gotten to race some of the fastest high school swimmers in Michigan,” Bartow said. “In my two individual events, the 500 free and the 200 IM, I was in the fastest heats and I was just a little nervous to race some of those guys. My nerves did get in the way a little because I didn’t swim my best times but the good part about this is that I can use this experience as a lesson to get out my nerves and compete with those faster guys.”

Bartow, Gabler, Maier and Diccion got the state cut by .03 seconds, which improved from last year.

“I would say this years MISCA’s was a lot better than last years,” Bartow said. “This year we had a lot more guys competing and we again had some really great swims. This year we were able to get a state cut in a relay which we weren’t able to do last year. But the best part about this year was that I was swimming with guys that I have known and swam with for years so it was a lot of fun to be with them and cheer them on while they competed. Overall I would say that this year was way better than last year.”

Gabler swam is personal best in the 200 medley relay, for the 50 free he had a time of 23:34.

“It was very successful for me because I went my fastest time and we made the state cut by 3 hundredths of a second,” junior Spencer Gabler said. “My nerves didn’t really get in my way and if anything it helped me because it made me realize that I needed to do well.”

The Metro competition will be held at Fenton high school, Feb. 22-24. Feb. 22 will be the diving prelims at 6:00 p.m. and on Feb. 23 the swimming prelims will take place at 5:00 p.m.. Finals for both diving and swim will be on Feb. 24 starting at 11 a.m.