The pool deck is cold as Junior Cole Tobin puts on his goggles as he steps up onto the block to compete in the 50 Freestyle. Tobin hears the sound of the whistle. 100 spectators in the stands go quiet, as the speaker announces, “Take your marks,” the other swimmers lean into their starting position, waiting to hear the beep. When the sound finally rings, the swimmers explode off the blocks and into the cold, glassy water at the LSR7 Boys Invitational, a big meet to prepare him for the upcoming annual CoMo meet.
The men’s swim team practiced for the redundant season starting on August 6th 2025, at the Liberty Community Center. Many of the swimmers swim year-round on teams like the Tsunami club team, and frequently compete at the Mizzou Aquatic Center in Columbia, Missouri, so they are familiar with the location. CoMo, where they will swim at Columbia, Missouri on October 3rd to October 4th at the Mizzou Aquatic center.
“I think we can break all the relay records, and I think we have a good chance in breaking 100 back. and 200 free.” said Tobin.
October third will be the prelims, and October on the fourth will be the Finals.
“In a month we will go to Columbia for a meet, and that’s when we’ll really be able to tell how we are compared to the rest of the state.” Said swim coach and math teacher Christopher Murphy.
Practices for the men’s swimming season started in August, taking place at the Liberty Community Center. Many of the swimmers swim year-round on teams like the Tsunami swim team,
“Most of my guys swim all year round, so they’re always swimming. They’re really dedicated,” Murphy said . This season, they’ve had three meets so far, including a Lee’s Summit meet, where they won with Junior Cole Tobin doing a 1:41.17 in the 200-meter freestyle and 46.24 in the 100-meter freestyle. Junior Matthew Riggs went a 1:58.98 in the 200-meter individual medley and a 1:00.60 in the 100-meter breaststroke The team has competed in lots of meets but recently the team has swam at Gladstone, where they swam against 20 different teams in the Kansas City area. This was a big meet for the team, perfect to prepare them for the next big upcoming meet.
“We put up some times the fastest in the state right now by quite a margin,” Murphy said.
The tsunami club swimmers compete at the Mizzou Aquatic Center in Columbia, Missouri mostly two times a year, so they are familiar with the location. CoMo, where they will swim at Columbia, Missouri on October 3rd to October 4th at the Mizzou Aquatic center. October 3rd will be the prelims, and October 4th will be the Finals. They have gone to this meet thirteen times since 2006, Their highest placings were in 2018 and 2024 where they placed 2nd both times.
It was early in the season, and we put up some times the fastest in the state right now by quite a margin. So it’s just good to get off to a good start and just keep this rolling.
This CoMo meet will be their biggest meet of the season, and with the help of their fast swimmers like Graham Henderson who currently holds the record for the 100 backstroke with a time of 49.54, and Adam Houck who currently hold the record for the 100 breaststroke with time of 57.21. The team will go against multiple exceptional swim teams such as Hickman High school in Columbia.
“So it’s just good to get off to a good start and just keep this rolling. We’ll know more later in the season”
This season, they’ve had three meets so far, including a Lee’s Summit meet, where they won with Junior Cole Tobin doing a 1:41.17 in the 200-meter freestyle and 46.24 in the 100-meter freestyle. Junior Matthew Riggs went a 1:58.98 in the 200-meter individual medley and a 1:00.60 in the 100-meter breaststroke The team has competed in lots of meets but recently the team has swam at Gladstone, where they swam against 20 different teams in the Kansas City area. This was a big meet for the team, perfect to prepare them for the next big upcoming meet.
“We put up some times the fastest in the state right now by quite a margin,” Murphy said.
Junior Matthew Riggs hopes that some new relay records will be set at their next meet. He also wants to get to the finals or state in the 200-meter individual medley and in the 100-meter breaststroke.
