Making a Splash At Home

For the first time in the history of the program, the Keokuk boys swimming team will enjoy a meet right here in their hometown.

Head coach Mercedes Hawkins said she is very excited for the boys to finally get to perform in front of their home crowd.

“It’ll be huge,” Hawkins said. “Hopefully this will be a movement for the following years to get a couple meets in.”

In her several years with the program, Hawkins said there have been struggles to get community support at times due to not being at home.

She is hoping that the two home meets the team has this year will allow staff and students from the school as well as other members of the community to get out and see them compete.

Part of that support will hopefully come in a monetary form as well. Hawkins said it can be costly with the pool and having to get new suits every year.

“We do need physical support from people, but also financial support,” Hawkins said.

With several weeks before the first of the two home meets the team has been working hard during the holiday break and Hawkins said the team is at a great point in the season.

“Their energy levels and their focus levels are right where I want them actually, it’s awesome,” Hawkins said.

The first meet will be Thursday, Jan. 17 against Macomb and Jacksonville, according to the Keokuk Activity Calendar.

Hawkins said the meet will be similar to how things are done during the girls swimming season where the team will host a potluck with their opponents after the competition.

“That’s another way for us coaches to get together and talk a little bit and for the swimmers to talk a little bit,” Hawkins said.

Doing events like this has helped built a strong relationship with the Fairfield girls swimming program Hawkins said. The main goal is to provide a family atmosphere for everyone, not just Keokuk’s squad.

“We like to include everyone; everyone works hard at that meet. We all deserve a nice, home cooked meal,” Hawkins said. “Just a little way to give back to our opposing teams and thank them for coming down and competing with us.”

This year’s team has quite a few young swimmers and is led by returning junior Dylan Jones, who was a state qualifier last year, and Hawkins is excited for people to see what he and the rest of the team can do at these home meets.

“I think we’re going to get a good crowd coming back and there going to be surprised on what we really have in our program,” Hawkins said. “There’s a lot of stuff that they’re not going to expect.”