Liberty’s boys swim team kicked off the 2021-2022 season with two victories, the first on Dec. 14 at Nazareth, defeating the Blue Eagles, 156-149, and the second on Dec. 15 at home defeating Pottsville, 131-32.

“We went in, knowing it was gonna be a fight,” said Liberty senior Patrick Gilhool. “Nazareth is probably the best team besides us, so it went to the end of the meet and came down to the 400 free relay to see who would win. It was really energetic, a lot of fast swims, especially for the first meet, a good way to start it off.”

Gilhool, the defending district champion in the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke, broke Nazareth’s pool record in the 200 IM with a time of 1:55.56 and in the 100 butterfly with a time of 50.98.

“I train there so I kind of went in, knowing I wanted to break those records,” Gilhool said. “I practice with those guys, so I really wanted to have my name on that board. I texted them after, and they were like, ahh, because they’re in college now, so I was like, yeah, but it’s all in good fun.”

The Hurricane boys opened their meet against Pottsville with a 1:43.93 victory in the 200 medley relay with the foursome of Gilhool, Sean McGuire, Corbin Eisenhardt, and Danny Lehr.

Liberty senior Addison Collins took first place in the 200 free with a time of 1:46.87 and the 500 free in 5:07.92, Gilhool won the 200 IM with a time of 2:09.05 and the 100 back in 1:01.30, and Lehr was first in the 50 free in 23.20 and the 100 free with a time of 51.37.

Malcolm Collins won the 100 fly in 1:00.08 with Eisenhardt right behind in 1:00.27, and Sean McGuire swam to a first-place finish in the 100 breaststroke in 1:08.15.

Mid-meet, Gilhool, Stein, Addison Collins, and Lehr were first in the 200 free relay in 1:28.86, and the combination of Eisenhardt, Malcolm Collins, Tim Wetmore, and Wade Wu closed out the meet with a first-place finish in the 400 free relay in 3:41.27.

“The team goal is, I’d love for us to win the district championship. We’re looking good so far. Everyone still has things to work on, but come around to districts, I think we’ll have a good shot,” said Gilhool, who is also a team captain. “Individually, I’d like to become a state champion. I just have to keep putting in the work and hopefully it will turn out in my favor. Last year I was the underdog, and this year, everyone wants to beat me, so it’s a different type of motivation to stay on top.”