Comets Swim and Dive continue to make waves

Libby Pullen and Editor Staff | The Chronicle 

Photos by Camden Paeltz
Junior Liam Clark finished second in the 100 fly with a time of 51:21 and third in the 200 fly with a
time of 1:53 in the Southwest Ohio High School Classic.

With the 2025 season reaching its high-stakes finale, Mason High School’s Swimming and Diving team aims to extend its legacy of dominance in the Greater Miami Conference Tournament. As the squad gears up for postseason action, they continue to showcase the powerful synergy between the speed of the swimmers and the skill of the divers—both striving for excellence in their respective disciplines to secure top rankings and championship wins. While swimmers race against the clock, divers aim to impress with complex dives executed to perfection.

In diving, athletes aim for the highest scores by executing the most challenging dives with precision and striving for flawless technique. High school diving features five categories, all performed from a one-meter diving board. Dives are categorized as fronts, backs, reverses, inwards, and twisters. To compete in meets, each diver must be proficient in all five categories. A dive is scored based on both its degree of difficulty and execution. Three judges rate the dive on a scale from one to ten, and then the score is multiplied by the dive’s degree of difficulty.

Head Swim and Dive coach Mark Sullivan, who has led the Mason program for over 20 years, along with Dive coach Paige Fischer, have been working tirelessly to get the team ready for the upcoming postseason challenges. Sullivan, who started his coaching career in high school, has dedicated his life to the sport with the goal of becoming a head coach. Alongside Fischer and the rest of the coaching staff, they are fully committed to preparing their athletes for the intense competition ahead.

“I just love to see how well [the athletes] do in the end, and how they perform,” Sullivan said. “Coaching just gives me satisfaction to see what they’ve dedicated themselves to and what they get out of it.”

Sullivan’s passion for coaching is deeply rooted in his own swimming career, where he was inspired by the coaches and teammates who shaped his journey. Now, as the head coach at Mason, he strives to have the same lasting impact on his athletes.

 “When I talk to alumni, they often mention how the lessons they learned through swimming and diving—things like dedication, determination, and goal-setting—have stayed with them,” Sullivan said. “They realize that the successes they achieved in life were built on the foundation they laid during their time on the team. It’s rewarding to see how those skills transcend the pool and help them in everything they do after high school.”

Through rigorous practices each week, Sullivan’s strong connection with every athlete enables him to instill these valuable life skills. Swim and Dive have at least seven practices a week, with some in the early morning and the rest after school. Although these athletes have several practices a week, Sullivan still makes sure the athletes are prioritizing their health. 

“We set goals for the team to be successful at the end of the year during the tournament season, but with the athletes we just want them to be successful and know that their work has paid off,” Sullivan said.

Many athletes have been dedicated to their sport for most of their lives, like junior Liam Clark, who has been swimming for 15 years. In addition to competing for Mason Swim and Dive, most of these athletes also race with club teams. With years of experience under their belts, they have a clear understanding of which events suit their strengths best.

“In high school, you usually have your specialty strokes already figured out, or the events you’re good at, so at meets you’ll either be put in whatever event you’re needed in, or at bigger meets you’re put in events you’re best at,” Clark said. 

In swimming, athletes race to achieve the fastest time in each event, earning points based on their placement. For individual events, first place earns six points, second place gets four, third place receives three, fourth place earns two, and fifth place gets one. Relay events reward more points, with first place earning 12 points, second place getting eight, and descending point totals for each subsequent position. The team with the most points at the end of the meet wins. In diving, athletes perform either six or 11 dives, depending on the meet’s significance, and each dive is scored individually based on its execution.

Although swimming and diving emphasize different skills, both sports share a common goal: to take home the gold. The team competed at the Southwest Classic on January 18th and 19th, the largest swim meet in Southwest Ohio, and finished strong. MHS Boys Swim and Dive ended the meet in second place with 413 points, falling to Saint Xavier, who scored 566.5 points. Meanwhile, the girls’ team claimed victory for the third year in a row, scoring 415 points and edging out second-place Ursuline Academy by just six points. 

Senior swimmer Julia Gregory expressed that she and the rest of the team are optimistic about their performance, hoping that their success at the Southwest Classic will pave the way for even greater accomplishments as they approach the league championships and the sectional, district and state tournament.

The team saw some standout performances at the Southwest Ohio High School Classic, with several swimmers setting the stage for a strong postseason. Sophomore Mulenga Cole scored 51 points, the ninth-highest total in the meet, and the most for the Mason boys. His impressive finish in the 500-yard freestyle—completing it in 4:39—earned him 20 points and first place overall, highlighting his potential as the team heads into the postseason.

Junior Dana Fairbanks also had a notable showing, surpassing her goal of simply making it to the finals. She took second place in the 100-yard backstroke and third in the 400-yard individual medley, proving her resilience in a tough competition. These athletes, along with the rest of the team, kept their postseason ambitions at the forefront as they competed in the finals, showcasing their drive and setting high hopes for what lies ahead in the league championships and beyond.The stage is now set for an exciting postseason run. The GMC Championship will take place this Friday and Saturday, January 31 and February 1, followed by the sectional tournament on February 3. Districts are scheduled for February 10, culminating with the state championships in Canton on February 18. With the team’s strong performance at the Southwest Classic and athletes like Mulenga Cole and Dana Fairbanks showcasing their potential, Mason Swim and Dive is focused on continuing its outstanding legacy through another remarkable postseason performance.