Summer has officially begun, and local swim teams have wasted no time hitting the pool. Swim season is in full swing, and the Dupo Hilltoppers, Waterloo Piranhas, and Columbia Hurricanes are making waves.

Hilltoppers

The weather is heating up, but the temperatures aren’t as hot as the Hilltoppers. Dupo’s team is off to a red hot 3-0 start, with crushing wins over Dorchester and Westhaven, and a thrilling 31-point win over one of the best teams in the conference, Highland.

Head coach Salle Plunkett is thrilled with the way her team has started the season. Plunkett said she has seen spectacular performances across all age groups and levels of experience. For example, Ethan Hogan (ages 8 and under), Taylor Fiedler (ages 11-12), and Kaitlyn Fiedler (ages 11-12), all new members to the team, are already showing improvement, according to Plunkett, and Quinten Westfall (ages 13-14) is also making tremendous strides.

“All of our newcomers are improving dramatically,” Plunkett said. “With more practice they will continue to improve.”

Meanwhile, returning veterans Samantha Otten (9-10), Jillian Rosenkranz (13-14), Hannah Hickel (13-14), Kyle Feeney (15-18), and Bailey Brown (15-18) are consistently racking up the points for the Hilltoppers. Plunkett is thankful to have these seasoned swimmers on her team, several of which swim year-round on other teams but have stayed loyal to the Hilltoppers.

“We also want to acknowledge swimmers who do swim year-round and continue to come back to Hilltoppers during the summer even though they continue to swim competitively on other teams,” she said. “We appreciate these parents who drive their kids to two practices a day.”

Plunkett says all of her swimmers, from beginner to veteran, have demonstrated outstanding work ethic and a desire to improve.

“We don’t have structured records,” she said, “but the kids are very aware of their best times and they focus on improving each time they swim.”

Dupo played host to Scott Air Force Base on Tuesday night and will pay a visit to King’s Point on Thursday.

Piranhas

As usual, the Waterloo Piranhas have started off the summer with a splash. Waterloo is 2-0 on the season, notching recent victories over Sparta Country Club and Columbia.

Though the season is still young, Piranhas coach Bart Jones likes what he has seen from his team so far.

“We’ve looked good,” Jones said.

Jones had especially high praise for his older swimmers. The 15-18 boys age group, which includes Kyle Wagner, Andy Bennett, Connor Flack, Cameron Rubemeyer and Chase Rubemeyer, has been “awesome.”

“That whole group is really strong,” Jones said. “They’ve been great since I started coaching here.”

Meanwhile, Miranda Foster is leading the way for the 15-18 girls. Foster has been dominant in the Piranhas’ first two meets, and appears to be putting together a special season.

“She’s a great swimmer,” Jones said.

This week, Waterloo visits Greenville and hosts Sparta Country Club.

Hurricanes

The Columbia swim team, back in the water for the first time in two years, is still rebuilding. The Hurricanes are 0-2 on the season, but coach Bart Jones isn’t as concerned with the team’s record as he is with teaching the sport. Columbia’s team is made up mostly of younger swimmers, and Jones is focusing on the fundamentals.

“We’re still getting going,” he said. “The important thing right now is for these kids to learn how to be swimmers — how to dive, how to turn, how to be good teammates, and how to do things the right way.”

Amidst the rebuilding, it helps to have some older, experienced swimmers to lead the way. That’s what Columbia has in Cheyanne Newland, who has had a standout season so far, according to Jones.

“She’s been great for us,” Jones said. “She’s really stood out.”

The Hurricanes have just one meet this week, Wednesday at Sparta Country Club.