By Matt Browning

Giani Benoit of Wichita Northwest was voted the preseason boys swimmer of the year. Last season, Benoit took fourth at the 6A State Meet in the diving competition.

“It (receiving the most votes) means a lot to me considering I am only a sophomore and last year was my first year diving,” Benoit said. “I want to thank my teammate Brock Wallace, who is also on the list, for pushing me to do better in the water and on the diving board.”

With three years left to hone his diving craft, Benoit is poised to be even better this season for the Grizzlies.

“My expectations for this season are to place higher than I did last year and score more points for the team,” Benoit said.\

Staying in shape and keeping his body conditioned for the rigors of the swim season looks different for Benoit.

“I always try to stay active during the off season weather it’s swimming, riding my bike, or playing sports with my friends,” Benoit said.

Advancing the types of dives Benoit performs throughout the season is something he has been working on.

“I want to improve on all of my dives and learn some higher difficulty dives so I can beat my school record and do better at state,” Benoit said.