On Feb. 28, the LT boys swim and dive team did something that no other LT swim and dive team has ever done: win the state championship.

“It’s amazing what you can do when you have fun with a group of teammates, and that’s what they did,” Head Coach Scott Walker said.

Unlike most high school sports that compete in divisions such as 7A or 8A, the IHSA swimming and diving meet draws all teams from the state to one single meet taking place over two days, making it an ultra-competitive competition between all swimmers who qualify. Ultimately, the success of both the team and Walker led to not only a state championship, but an Illinois Coach of the Year award for Walker.

“This year we definitely put LT on the state’s radar,” Weston Credit ‘16 said. “I think teams will hold us to a higher standard now.”

Ousting other talented teams like Hinsdale Central, Peoria Notre Dame and Naperville Central, the team won state by 24 points, a decisive margin that was accomplished by strong performances in all events as well as Seamus Scotty’s ‘17 fifth-place state finish.

“There’s only one way that [the state championship win] was accomplished,” Walker said. “It was because of the 70 boys that were on the team, and the 12 guys that were standing to represent the 70.”

Much of the team’s philosophy is concentrated on putting the team before self, a lesson that Walker teaches consistently throughout the season, Credit said.

“Even though some of our guys didn’t have personal bests [in their events], we were thriving off of the energy of the entire team,” Credit said. “We didn’t let anything take our eyes off of the state championship.”

While the team boasts a breadth of young talent, such as Jeff Vitek ‘18, Henry Claesson ‘18 and Spencer Walker ‘18, they also lose experienced swimmers in Credit, Ben Breitenbucher ‘16, Chris Phillips ‘16 and George Lundgren ‘16. The loss of talented seniors, however, offers the opportunity for others to step up to fill the gaps, David Rak ‘17 said.

“Personally I want to try and fill some gaps that the seniors will be leaving,” Rak said. “Whether it be leadership roles or some of our high scoring events at state, I want to help the team return strong next year.”

With a first-place trophy won and statewide respect earned, the state championship win will give current and future LT swimmers the confidence that they can achieve the same thing, Phillips said.

“Winning state definitely sets LT up well for future seasons now that we know that we can do it,” Credit said.