Members of the Eastern Hancock 200-yard freestyle relay team compose themselves during the IHSAA Boys Sectional Swimming and Diving Tournament, Saturday, Feb. 20, 2022.
By Brady Extin | Daily Reporter
CHARLOTTESVILLE – The 2022-2023 season will be a much different one for the Eastern Hancock boys swimming team.
The Royals graduated eight seniors from a team that earned the best sectional finish in school history, placing fifth at the New Palestine Sectional.
Last year’s team was a full roster of 13 swimmers for head coach Mike Dolence to work with, this year they’re down to just five.
“This is kind of a rebuilding year. We graduated eight seniors from last year, which was literally half our team,” Dolence said. “That’s a large amount of kids to replace when you are a (Class) 2A school.”
A big reason for last season’s success was a trio of senior leaders, Ryan Dagley, Matthew McDaniel, and Luken Edwards.
All three were key pieces in the Royals’ fifth-place sectional finish.
McDaniel placed second in the 200-yard freestyle and fourth in the 100 butterfly, Dagley placed fourth in the 100 breaststroke and fifth in the 50 freestyle, and Edwards finished in fourth in the 50 freestyle and fifth in the 100 freestyle.
All three were members of the 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams that placed second and third, respectively.
Two more seniors that the Royals will be without, Chase Morrow and Lucas Elliott, were both members of the 400 individual medley relay team that placed seventh.
With that group gone, Dolence will turn to returning senior Joey Blocher and junior Kyle Messer to lead the way.
“I’m looking for both of their leadership to help our team in continuing to improve this year and get faster as the season goes on,” Dolence said.
Blocher was the fourth member of both the 200 and 400 freestyle relay squads, while Messer was a part of the 400 individual medley.
Individually, Messer placed fifth in the 200 IM and seventh in the 500 freestyle.
Joining those two from last year’s team will be sophomores Kameron Adkins and Christian Hanna.
Rounding out the Royals’ five man roster, but only swimming junior varsity this season, is New Castle transfer junior Gus Upchurch.
“Gus will be an incredible addition to our team,” Dolence said. “He’s great to have in the pool swimming with our team.”
With such a small roster, Dolence is just looking for each swimmer to improve over the course of the season.
“It’s going to be a team effort, and I look for all the kids to continue to individually improve and come together as a group,” Dolence said.
Eastern Hancock opens the season Monday at home against Centerville and Seton Catholic.
