After a succesful first season with several swimmers qualifying for the state meet, Boothbay Region High School's swim team is gearing up for another exciting season.

“We have 15 swimmers in total from Boothbay,” co-coach Linda Strout said.

The Boothbay Seahawks practice in partnership with the Lincoln Academy Eagles at the Boothbay Region Y. There are a total of 40 students on the Eagles team this year.

Returning Seahawks swimmers include seniors Nicole LaBrecque, Brenna Alley, Karl Alamo and Chris Groneng; juniors Jaime Wheeler and Samantha Carter; and sophomores Molly Thibault and Elizabeth Bradstreet-Doughty.

New swimmers include three juniors, Genevieve Taylor, AnnieLynn Mackusick and Marissa Farnham; one sophomore, Colin Cabrera, and three freshmen, Evy Case, Lincoln Hamblett and Emma Pearce.

This year's captains are Labrecque and Carter, who were part of the reason the swim team got started.

“We used to be on the team from Wiscasset and had to drive there every night,” Labrecque said. “There were other students interested in swimming but didn't want to travel all the time.”

Returning swimmer Karl Alamo said he's been swimming a long time.

“It's painful, but worth it,” Alamo said.

“Practicing sprints in the pool is like running a suicide in basketball, except you can't breathe,” said Labrecque.

(In a suicide, players line up on the baseline, sprint to the foul line and touch the line with their hands, then back, then to the half line and back, then to the far foul line and back, and far baseline and back.)

“We're flailing around, using our entire bodies and all our muscles so you are completely worn out after practice, but it feels really good,” Alamo said.

Another reason swimmers came back is that they enjoy practicing with Lincoln Academy.

“It's a lot of fun to swim with them,” Brenna Alley said.

The seven new swimmers came to the team both because of the fun and the other team members.

“It's a team of great people,” said Genevieve Taylor.

“Everyone told us it was a fun team to be on,” said Evy Case.

With only three boys on the team this year, they will be unable to run any relays at meets.

“We can run the relay with someone from Lincoln Academy, but it won't actually count,” Alamo said.

The Seahawks and Eagles will swim several home and away games during their season together. The first meet took place against the St. Dominic Saints on Dec. 5.