While some scholastic sports teams deal with team competitions, others deal with more one-on-one battles. When it comes to the swimming pool, it is both a team and individual atmosphere, with the strongest individual performances leading to the team’s victory.
For the Mission Bay High swim program (approximately 30 swimmers out for the program this year), 2016 has been a banner season.
Nineteen swimmers were slated to represent the Bucs May 4 at the City Conference championships.
Senior Doug Cromar qualified in the 50 freestyle with a time of 24.04. The girls have been led by sophomores Kiley Knight and Ciara Gray. Knight, who finished 15th in the 100 butterfly at the CIF championships last year as a freshman, qualified for the city championships in every event she swam this season. She was scheduled to swim the 200 freestyle and the 100 fly, while Gray was to compete in the 100 breaststroke. 
As Mission Bay head coach John Knight pointed out, it isn’t unusual for there to be 20 personal record swims in each meet. “So many of our swimmers are improving every time they compete,” Knight remarked. “The team is mostly composed of sophomores and freshmen, with a group of seniors who are getting ready to graduate. “The coming years are going to be an exciting time for MBHS Aquatics,” he said. “The number of water polo players and swimmers has more than doubled and their success has followed,” Knight added. “Athletic director Jorge Palacios and principal Ernie Remillard have led the way garnering tremendous support from the community.”
According to Knight, he and fellow coach Tyler Thompson were looking forward to the final two championship meets as well as the team’s continued success in the coming years.
Given the times and performances a number of Mission Bay High swimmers have posted this season, the future certainly appears to be surfacing with more talent.
and more records being set in the years to come.