It’s been fourteen years since girls’ swimming won the State Championship.

Along the 190-something foot hallway that is MHS’ gym building, lies the remnants of 21 years of sports stories. While some are forgotten, other stories are still in the works.

A few steps before the row of glass cases begins stands the metal entryway of MHS’ swimming pool, a place tucked away from the hustle and bustle of 2,257 students.

Just under a year ago the MHS girls’ swim team celebrated its historic second-in-State finish with a team dinner and sleepover, something they still speak highly of today.

“I was extremely proud of my team for getting second,” swimmer Raquel Porporis, senior, said. “We were all just so happy we made it that far.”

After almost a year, the team still acts like they have something to prove.

“I think there is 100 percent a different atmosphere with the team this year as opposed to last,” swimmer Grace Walker, senior, said. “There’s no room for messing around, and I think everyone’s a lot more serious about practice this year.”

During practice they swim over 4,000 yards and work on different techniques. They practice kicks with swimming fins and then practice pulls with paddles and buoys. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, the girls head down to the weight room to work on arms, legs, and core for 40 minutes and then over to the track to run for about a mile and then finish their day with a 45 minute swim.

There’s a reason for all this training and some of it’s due to the amount of contributing swimmers that graduated last season.

“The main adversity is 100 percent living up to the standard we made for ourselves this year, but we are confident and ready to tackle on competition,” Walker said.

After losing their two top scorers in captains Abby Watson and Jessi Goring along with seven other seniors, the Mustangs look to continue their success with the help of young talent and five seniors.

“We’re optimistic on how it’ll turn out for all our big meets as well as our dual meets,” Walker said.

She added that Ashley Yarbrough, sophomore, dived for the Mustangs last year as a freshman and helped them rack up points during the team’s State run.

After the team’s annual Blue-Green Intersquad Meet last Friday and Wednesday’s meet at Parkway South, the girls optimistically tied for first at Saturday’s relay meet in a place they’ve become all-too familiar with; a place tucked away from the hustle and bustle of 2,257 students.

With the 2014-2015 season underway, the girls swim team is still writing its own story, one they hope won’t be forgotten amongst the row of past school achievements