Xavier High School Athletics have proven to have their fair share of rivalries against other teams in their own surrounding area but Xavier also has some competition within the building. Since Xavier does not have a pool on campus, Xavier students who want to participate in swimming compete for teams in the area based on where they live. This has created some rivalries between Saints within the walls of Xavier. This 2021-2022 boys swim season, senior Spencer Kramer is competing in his fourth high school season. Kramer has swam the 50 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle, Butterfly in the 200 Medley Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay and the 400 Freestyle Relay as a part of Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s Swim Team. “It means a lot to me [to be a part of the Kennedy Swim Team] because over the past 4 years I have met a lot ofnew kids and some of my better friends that have gone to Kennedy,” Kramer said. Kramer is not the only one that is grateful for an opportunity to be a part of the Kennedy swim team. The Head Swim Coach of the Kennedy team, Shawn Thomsen, sees what other athletes have been able to bring to the Kennedy team. “Both of our Xavier swimmers [Spencer Kramer (X22) and Chase Decker (X24)] currently compete for us at the Varsity level. They add talent and depth to our lineup as well as add to the leadership of our team. Many of our younger swimmers look to our Xavier seniors for advice on technique and racing,” Coach Thomsen said. On the other side of Cedar Rapids, other Xavier students are having the same opportunities at Washington High School, including junior Brian Forester. Forester has swam the 200 Freestyle, 200 Individual Medley, 500 Freestyle and 100 Breaststroke this season. Forester said that there are definitely rivalries, especially with Cedar Rapids Jefferson and Cedar Rapids Kennedy. Forester is excited as the end of the season approaches and the state meet comes closer. “I am looking forward to the state meet, as it will be the end of my season and I will get to see how I stack up compared to the rest of the state,” Forester said. The surrounding Cedar Rapids schools have given Xavier swimmers a great opportunity, not only from an athletic standpoint but also socially. This is quite apparent to Washington Men’s Head Coach, Matthew Sinnott. “They enjoy competing to the best of their abilities and being successful in every race and meet with their teammates. They have a great time training with each other,” Sinnott said. “I think that is the same with other Xavier student-athletes competing for other schools in the area. When swimming against those other Metro area teams with Xavier students, there is still a lot of camaraderie amongst the Xavier students as a whole as well as with their individual teams.” Both teams will compete for a chance to qualify for state at the district meet which will occur on Saturday February 5, 2022 at the Linn-Mar Aquatic Center.