'It's been a dream': Record-breaking Wooster boys relays take on state swim meet
WOOSTER — Just days before they’re going to compete among the state’s best, the Wooster’s boys freestyle relay was locked in.
The team of Andrei Dordea, Luke Boucher, Aidan McMillan and Gabe Bosler-Kilmer took part in an intense practice when most people would just be waking up. They got in numerous reps and talked over strategy about how they can shave any extra seconds off of their already record time.
Moments after, however, the group had an impromptu dance party on the pool deck.
That mix of work and play is what has made the relay not only post program-best times this season, but it has allowed them to enjoy the process of making it this week’s OHSAA State Championships as a group in both the 200- and 400-meter freestyle events.
“Everybody has been, like coach always says, locked in and wanting to do our best and give it our all,” Dordea said. “It's a testament to having faith in God, each other and working hard and having it pay off. We've been keeping that mentality; pushing each other in the weight room, and sometimes the tears during our planks gets a little crazy.
“It's been fun, sometimes it hurts, but it's all been worth it.”
State-bound: Andrei Dordea dominates district swim meet to lead Wooster's huge day
Indeed, it has as the quartet comes into preliminary competition with the seventh-fastest time in both events — notably a 200-meter group that shattered a school-record time with its district victory in 1:25.87 and a 400-meter unit that clocked a 3:11.95 — each replacing records that were set back in the 2019-2020 season.
And it all starts with being there for the next guy when he’s struggling or being that positive word of encouragement for someone else to keep going.
“I feel like we've all pushed each other; kept each other in check,” Boucher said. “When we're dragging, we pick each other up, push each other, and just the friendship that we've built ... and with these guys being so fast, that has been a huge part in this.”
Putting together successful relays is nothing new for Wooster, but coach Chris Matthew knows that finding the right mix is far from easy.
Sure, a team might have four guys that are exceptional sprinters but getting them to jell at the right time and to each execute their specific job is more of a challenge in itself.
Good news for Matthew, and the Generals, that hasn’t been a problem.
“The chemistry is 90% of it and we've had it on the relays the last four years,” Matthew said. “They are such nice men. Andrei and Luke have led this team with their grace, sportsmanship and they're such great workers. That's what you need to have success.
“These guys have the work ethic and they are where they're at because of that and their dedication. Period.”
The dream season
For Dordea, the sport of swimming has always been a big part of his life.
The senior will admit, however, that he early on his career it took a lot to get him to go from just participating in the sport to excelling in it.
“Seventh grade I did the bare minimum of practices and, when eight grade swung around, Luke and some of the other guys had a relay going and they were like, 'Hey, if you do this, we can make it to (USA Swimming) Zones' and I was like 'OK, sure,'” Dordea said. “We qualified and the freshman came around and I was alternate; sophomore and junior year to now has been a build-up of individual events and placing higher in relays.
“It's crazy. I would've never thought this would all happen. It's been a dream.”
Simply put, it’s been quite a year for Dordea. Not only has been the lead leg on a pair of freestyle relays that come into the state meet with a lot of confidence — and a legitimate shot a podium finish — he won a pair of individual district titles a week ago, was a sectional champ and walked away with numerous Ohio Cardinal Conference and Northeast Aquatic Conference accolades.
But Dordea, and the rest of the team are not just happy to be there this weekend; they want to make more history.
“We saw we could do that time and we were looking at the other districts and we were like we can do this,” he said. “We're up there. Six teams ahead of us in the 200 free relay and I believe four of those time are also 1:25s. If we hold seed, have a good day and make some little fixes, we could be top three. It's just incredible seeing that possibility come to light.”
The second chance
A little over two years ago, Boucher was nursing a shoulder injury that completely erased his sophomore season.
While that process can be not only physically but emotional draining, it made the senior stronger.
After major injuries and surgery, Boucher worked his way back into form his junior season and, once again this weekend, will end his season in Canton with a chance to earn a medal.
It’s been a long journey since those days as an underclassman just itching for an opportunity to get back in the pool but Boucher is enjoying every moment of the final days of his prep career.
“The crazy part is that it hasn't even hit me yet,” said Boucher, who also will swim on the Generals’ 200 medley team and in the 200 individual medley. “That's what's kind of cool. We were talking about this on the bus, the other day, that we got these records and it's crazy. It hasn't hit me yet, but I feel like it's going to come at me like a wall and I will be like 'Wow.’
“I'm kind of just caught-up in the moment and just trying to soak it all up,” he added. “It's been really cool to be able to recover from those injuries and be with these guys where we're at. It's been awesome.”
And while the experience has been everything he could imagine after getting back to the pool two short years ago, he feels they still have a lot left in the tank.
“We're hoping to go a little bit faster; we're all locked-in for that,” Boucher said. “It will be fun to see what we can do.”
The rookie
McMillan has had his share of success in the sport. As an elementary and middle school swimmer, the freshman knows how to win and compete.
When junior teammate Michael Buchholz went down with a shoulder injury, the spot was open for the newcomer to occupy.
Being the “rookie” on a team of veterans, however, comes with its share of added pressure.
“I was very nervous ... I just wanted to make the relay,” McMillan said. “Practices from when you're younger are hard, but your high school year it sucks. Sometimes you go home crying and it's all pain, but then you get in the locker room, and it doesn't feel that bad (when you're with the team).”
Nerves aside, he not only earned that spot but has made the crucial third leg of the freestyle relay look downright easy, helping the group either maintain its position or picking up a place along the way.
But for McMillan, who also swims on the 200-medley relay, the experience is one that he will never forget.
“It's been amazing,” he said. “It's been a good environment to grow and I've dropped so much time. Being around some of the best people and swimmers in the state is truly an experience that I'm never going to forget.
“These seniors are going to leave, but the next four years I'm going to be looking at our names up there (on the record board) and it's going to be great.”
The closer
As the race goes on, and the pressure mounts, every little second matters. Bosler-Kilmer doesn’t seem to mind any of the stress that comes along with being the anchor leg.
In the biggest moment of the relay unit’s season at the Cleveland District, the sophomore calmly waited for his turn.
It was then when Bosler-Kilmer went to work, bringing the group back from second place behind Massillon Jackson and, ultimately, helped the foursome secure a spot in program history.
“I always swim better under the pressure,” Bosler-Kilmer said. “At District, I saw the Jackson boys swimming their minds off and we were one or two body lengths behind, and I knew that I had to bring it home and get that record for my boys. Just had to make it happen.”
Along with the freestyle relays, the underclassman has the 50 free and 100 butterfly events to compete in.
The busy day is nothing new to Bosler-Kilmer and he hopes it will help him focus-in on the task at hand with his relay team.
“It's going to get my mind right,” he said. “It's always better swimming with the relay, I feel like I need to go faster, it's more fun when you have other guys with you.”
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Swimming: Chemistry, hard work drive Wooster relay team to state
