Mountain View High School has never won a conference championship in swimming, but this year’s boys team believes it has the potential to be the first to do so.
The Mountain Lions finished seventh at last year’s Northern Conference championships and 11th at the Class 4A state meet. They didn’t have any seniors on last year’s team, so the entire 2025 squad returns and has added some talented freshmen to the mix.
That combination has the Mountain Lions optimistic going into this season.
“I think that would be super, super exciting for us as seniors to accomplish this huge achievement that has never been done before in the history of the swim program at Mountain View,” senior JJ Phillips said. “To accomplish that our senior year, our senior season, and graduate shortly after doing so I think would be a great finish to our high school swimming careers and our careers in athletics in general.”
Mountain View’s top talent this season starts with Phillips. He has made the finals at the state meet in two events three years in a row. The past two seasons, he finished third in both the 50 and 100 freestyle races.
He is more motivated than ever to get to the top of the podium in his last high school season. He joined a club in Fort Collins and has put in the work he believes can get him there.
“I’m super excited this year,” he said. “The two swimmers that beat me in both my events last year graduated, which was unfortunately similar to the case from my sophomore year to my junior year and newcomers came up and beat me. But, this year, I’m looking ahead and I’m feeling confident that the pathway to the top of the podium is attainable.”
Phillips wasn’t the only MVHS representative to swim in the finals at state last season. Kane Willis, who was seventh in the 100 backstroke, is back as well for his senior year. He also just missed making the consolation final of the 100 freestyle, touching the wall with the 22nd-fastest time in the prelims. The top 20 advanced to either the championship or consolation finals.
Willis also believes the team, with its combination of returning experience and talented newcomers, has a chance have a special season.
“Everybody (is back) and a few more,” Willis said. “Not just bodies, but we’ve got more talent too. I’m really happy we could have some more talent. Winning conference would be everything. Girls and boys swim teams have never seen a conference championship here. I think we have a good shot at getting the first and setting us up for not being the last.”
The team’s other seniors are Sawyer Ingraham, Owen Kolowski and Zac Chang. They all swam on one or more of the Mountain Lions’ relays at state last year.
Mountain View head coach Wietse Wullink has been impressed with the way Koleski and Chang have come along the past two years. Ingraham has the potential to have a big season as well.
“As a senior group, they have gotten faster each year,” Wullink said. “They are very excited about the possibilities this year because sometimes, you get to your senior year and you’ve done it for three years and you’re kind of, ‘OK, I’m really not in the place of wanting to really throw down.’ That is exactly the opposite. These guys realize the opportunities in front of them and they’re ready to go.”
Add in some returning underclassmen and several incoming freshmen who have club experience, and the Mountain Lions are eager to show off just how much stronger and faster they are this year.
Juniors Nathan Dicks and Cooper Farland, and sophomore Jackson Willard, were also contributors on the team’s relays at state last year and will be counted on this season.
In only a few years, the program has gone from not having enough swimmers to fill all the lanes at the Mountain View Aquatic Center to having at least two per lane.
The seniors hope the team’s trend of growth and progression up the team standings at the state meet will not only continue this year but set the program up for future success.
“I think it’s good for JJ and I, and especially the other seniors because we’ve been to the show and we know what it’s like,” Willis said. “And we can help them lead the way and show them good examples. We place higher every single year, and I think that starts with Wietse, and then I think JJ and I have done an OK job with being mentors of the team. Just the team growing as a whole and all of us becoming brothers, it really helped us get faster.”
Mountain View will open its season Saturday at the NoCo Sprints in Fort Collins.
Loveland Red Wolves
Head coach: Martin Jasken (Fourth season currently, 16th season overall)
Last year: Ninth at conference, 16th at 4A state
Returning state qualifiers: Alex Patricelli (Sr.), Will Schneider (Sr.), Evan Phillips (Sr.), Brogan Reed (Jr.)
Others to watch: Calvin Lee (Fr.)
Coach’s outlook: “With the strong returning senior class and a group of committed and talented freshmen, Loveland is an improved team from the previous season in terms of depth and speed. Stronger regular season meet outcomes matching up with opponents is expected and they certainly have the opportunity of making a bigger mark at the Northern League Championships and the 4A state meet this season. The team hopes to be a dark horse championship team that can really make their mark in May when the fast swimming and performances count. An improvement on the highest state place in the last decade is on the team’s radar to achieve through depth and versatile performances across the event line up by all of the team’s members.”
Thompson Valley Eagles
Head coach: Kelsie Brumley (Fourth season)
Last year: 10th at conference
Returning state qualifiers: Zach Stonier (Jr.), Micah Keller (So.), Cooper Christensen (So.), Nick Weimer (So.)
Others to watch: Nathanial Chou (So.)
Coach’s outlook: “We have a large and enthusiastic freshman class joining the team this year, featuring many new faces along with a few athletes continuing from their middle school careers. While we do not have a senior class this season, we are excited about the opportunity to build and grow our program. After graduating a large senior class of strong leaders, we look forward to continuing to build with the addition of new faces and emerging talent. With strong leadership coming from a talented sophomore class, we anticipate significant development and competitive progress throughout the year. We are excited to watch our program continue to develop. Nathanial is returning to diving after taking a season off. We are very excited to have him back, as he is the current record holder at Bill Reed Middle School. We’re looking forward to seeing tremendous growth and some incredible diving performances as he continues to develop under the direction of coach Randy Huff.”
