Boys swimming preview

The Oak Harbor High School boys swim team has a new coach this year. Amy Nurvic, a Language Arts teacher at NWMS is the new head coach for the boys swim team. Originally from Lynnwood, Coach Nurvic graduated from Mariner HS where she swam for 3 years. She would have swum a 4th year, but spent a year studying in France. Her specialties were the Individual Medley and the Breaststroke.
She has been coaching almost continuously since high school in a variety of sports, and has a lot of swim experience. She was the coach at Mariner for 4 years, coached at the middle school level for 3 years, and has also coached Club/AAU swimming. She coaches swimming more than any other sport because "it's my favorite sport".
While this year's team is small in numbers, it's big on quality. Returning to lead the team both in the pool and in school are Bryce Vagt, and John Hu, who is returning to defend his 200 IM state championship placing from last year. John also had State experience last year in the 100 back (5th), and as a member of the 400 medley relay (14th).
The team makeup is unusual in that it's made up mostly of seniors and sophomores - there is only one junior and two freshmen on the team.
Both of the freshmen have a lot of swimming experience, swimming for the North Whidbey Aquatic Club. Coach Nurvic has been especially impressed by Jacob Jepson, saying "he's fast".
Other returners with State Meet experience are Price Hu, 21st in the 200IM, 18th in the 100 Fly, and a member of the 200 medley relay; Yale Rosen, 16th in the 100 breast and on the medley relay team; and Tyler Schell, the distance swimmer who finished 17th in the 500 free and 16th in the 100 breast.
Among Coach Nurvic's goals for the team this year, besides winning swim meets, is to build up the boys swim program at OHHS. She'd like to see more of her boys swimming for the AAU club in the off-season to improve the skills and abilities, and she wants to push the numbers as well.
Personally, she wants to reacquaint herself with the sport, being away from competitive swimming for a few years.
The first home meet for the Wildcat swimmers is next week, December 4th against Stanwood. Admission to all home swim meets is FREE.