Water splashes out of the side of the UT pool as sophomore Sam Sok stands at the edge waiting for his opportunity to jump in and swim. The lanes overflow with people, leaving barely enough room to move. A sense of excitement and nervousness fill the air, for the biggest meet of the season starts in an hour. Sok dives into the pool and starts warming up for the UIL 5A State Championships.
“It was the first time this season I actually felt scared,” Sok said. “If you do one little thing wrong, the relay could get disqualified.”
Swim Coach Tony Tullbane took his biggest team yet with a total of eight swimmers and one diver. Sok, along with sophomores Jeff Jameson, Caden Williams, Keenan Williams and senior Brandon Bernal qualified for state for the first time. Senior Will Tullbane, junior Nick Tullbane, junior Austin Spencer and sophomore Haley Yelle competed at state last year and returned this year.
“Having the team with me is the best part,” Yelle said. “It makes the whole experience even better. I spend hours training with them and it’s great to see our hard work finally pay off.”
The boys placed the highest in Mansfield ISD history by winning sixth. Individually, Will Tullbane placed eighth and twelfth in his events, Sok, Nick Tullbane and Bernal placed fourteenth and Jameson placed ninth. The relays earned two seventh places and a thirteenth place.
“I feel accomplished,” Sok said. “This is the best year for Legacy guys’ swimming, so we’ve basically done what no other team in Mansfield has ever done.”
Two of the boys relays placed seventh while the third relay placed thirteenth. All boys who swam individual events placed in the top 14. Yelle won silver medals in both of her events.
“It’s hard to lose, but I had very good competitors,” Yelle said. “All I can do now is move on and work hard to hopefully get the gold medal next year.”
