On February 10th, seventeen athletes from Denmark’s swim and dive team embarked on a journey to the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center to compete at the GHSA State meet. The Danes were placed squarely under the spotlight with dive and all four strokes being represented at the competition. It’s safe to say that there was a lot of preparation to be done, but luckily Coach Furbish and Shumeyko meticulously crafted the perfect practice plan for the weeks leading up to the event. 

The coach’s plan kicked off with threshold sets which are meant to cut swimmers’ times down and help them build up endurance by improving their explosiveness. Endurance proved to be a tremendously important component at State, especially for those who qualified for longer strokes or competed in multiple events. 

Tapers were also incorporated into the training regimine. This drill rolled back practice intensity and placed a greater emphasis on techniques such as turns, strokes, or starts. Tapers are a great tool to improve efficiency in the water and allowed the athlete’s bodies to recover before the meet so that they were ready to give it their all. With both of these exercises combined, the Danes were in exceptional shape to compete in State. 

Swimmer Peyton Jeon, a key member of one of the relay teams that competed at the meet, emphasized the importance of keeping a “positive and focused mindset” as the competition approached to ensure that he was not only physically ready, but also mentally prepared to do his best for the team. Having the correct mindset can significantly contribute to a swimmer’s performance. 

“The meet proved to be fruitful, as the team brought home several medals to add to Denmark’s trophy case.”

At a high-level meet such as State, many of the athletes are similarly matched physically. What sets the winners apart from the losers ultimately boils down to mindset. Allowing negativity to reign when things get hard becomes a ball and chain, slowing swimmers down. Those who are able to maintain focus throughout an entire set are those who will come out on top. 

The meet proved to be fruitful, as the team brought home several medals to add to Denmark’s trophy case. Daniel Goshko stood out, clinching victory in the 100 free, making him a State Champion. He also earned second in the 100 back and participated in the 400 free relay. Brandon Cresap also stepped into the spotlight. He took second place in the 50 free, fourth in the 100 fly, and aided the 400 relay team secure fourth along with Goshko, Smolakovs, and Bakunin. 

The combination of mental fortification and physical preparation paid off, amply equipping the team for the meet. This is evident not only in the competition results, but also in the record times set by both girls and boys teams in 2023 in the 50 free, 100 free, and 200 free relay! Four of these record holders, Brandan Cresap, Daniel Goshko, Sulli DeKreek, and Vlad Bakunin, competed at State, providing younger members with invaluable access to great leadership. 

Next year, the team will be even more prepared and hopefully be ready to bring home the gold thanks to senior leadership and more experience. Congratulations to all of those who climbed onto the podium last weekend and to those who found themselves improving on their previous times throughout the season.