Today is your tomorrow. It’s up to you to shape it, to take action and seize every opportunity. Your power is in your choices you make each day. You’re bound to sink or swim.

Powell High School’s very own boys swim team competed in a home triangular Jan. 15. with teams from Worland and Cody, placing first (297), 19 points ahead of Worland (288) and 67 points ahead of Cody (230).

The three seniors swam at their last home mee; four-year swimmers Joe Rogers and Trent Wilson along with first-year swimmer and Brazilian exchange student Pedro Teixeira.

“At the beginning of the season, I was out of shape,” Teixieira said.. “ I keep building that [because] every second counts. Swimming is always a challenge, but the team helps with that.”

The Panthers have had some ups and downs in the season but continue to improve their times and plan to stay headstrong with the upcoming meets.

“First, I have improved my stroke and technique quite a bit,” Wilson said.. “Second, I have matured quite a lot from my freshman year. Every year except last year I never placed at state. I got fifth at state in the 500 [freestyle].”

Wilson’s advice to swimmers included staying humble throughout the quick-paced season.

“Keep your head down low,” Wilson said. “It doesn’t matter if you are the fastest kid in the pool. You’re overly prideful [behavior] looks bad on the team. There is a time and a place for everything and the season goes by [quickly].”

Qualifying for state as a freshman can be tough in any sport, both team and individual sports. Whether it’s making the varsity team, working as a team to win playoff games or attempting to achieve state times or better, it’s not plain sailing. However, four freshmen have achieved these aspirations: Francis Rogers, Cole Frank, Nate Johnston and Josh Wright.

“I’m really competitive and I like being the best so I try to be the best,” Frank said. “I had some troubles with fear of throwing new dives or dives I wasn’t comfortable with. I overcame them by just thinking about the benefit.”

As an individual sport, the main focus is on an individual’s performance. A major key to success is self-reliance where they determine their pace and input in practice and meets.

“I was motivated by the fact it’s my main sport and there by swimming year-round,” Rogers said.

Rogers and Johnston both swim year-round for the Powell Swim Club, which gave them an extra advantage to qualify.

“I love the way people are when you swim and how they push me to reach my goal,” Johnston said.

The Panthers compete in the conference meet Feb. 1-2 in Riverton. State will be Feb. 15-16 in Gillette.