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Help for Parker swimmers arrive with helmets

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Parker vs Craig Boys Swim Dual

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JANESVILLE — Coach Eric Rhodes encourages football players to join Janesville Parker High School's boys swim team.

"I love it," said Rhodes. "They are so strong, and they are not afraid to work."

Rhodes will lead the Parker boys into the season, attempting to improve on a 2-6 Big Eight dual meet season. The Vikings will have to replace graduated standouts Marcus Genrich and Nick Olin.

Seniors Jacob Johnson and Hayden Somonis have shed their football pads and jumped into the pool.

Rhodes is impressed, especially with Johnson.

"Jacob has come back so strong and mature," Rhodes said. "He can swim anything."

Caleb Sigmund, Caleb Williams and a foreign exchange student, Leo Malo-Cordova of Ecuador, round out the Vikings' senior class.

Parker's junior class includes Matt Simon, whose sister, Sam, swam the English Channel last August. Nate Sigmund, Caleb's brother, Jacob Oldenburg and Markus Murdy complete the junior class.

Brandon Jackson and Ben Hartzell are the most promising among 12 sophomore swimmers, Rhodes said.

Jackson is a year-round swimmer and earned a varsity letter as a freshman. Rhodes considers him almost like another coach.

"He is one of my leaders on the team," Rhodes said. "He leads the drills in his lane."

Hartzell is in Jackson's mold.

"He's the same deal," Rhodes said. "Ben's a club swimmer who swam when the high school season was over."

Rhodes is satisfied with the nucleus on the Vikings' roster, and he expects his team will improve.

"I think we are going to be better," Rhodes said. "But when we get better, it seems everybody else does, too."

Rhodes said the Waukesha Sectional is filled with quality talent and is getting better all the time.

"The times are really fast," Rhodes said. "The teams are really deep."

As for the Big Eight, Rhodes said usual suspects Middleton, Madison West, Madison Memorial and Verona will be the class for the league.

Parker hosts Janesville Craig at 5 p.m. today in a Big Eight Conference and season opener.

Parker's schedule:

DECEMBER: Today—Janesville Craig, 5 p.m.; 5—Cougar Relays, at Janesville Craig, 10 a.m.; 12—Parker Relays, 11 a.m.; 18—Middleton and Madison East, 5 p.m.; 19—Elkhorn Invitational, 10 a.m.

JANUARY: 8—At Verona, 5 p.m.; 9—Stoughton College Events Invitational, 11 a.m.; 15—At Madison Memorial, 5 p.m.; 16—Manitowoc Invitational, noon; 22—At Madison La Follette, 5 p.m.; 29—Madison West, 5 p.m.; 30—Racine Invitational (Racine Park), 1 p.m.

FEBRUARY: 6—Big Eight Conference meet, at Middleton, 8 a.m. 13—WIAA sectional, at Middleton.20—WIAA state meet, UW Natatroium, Madison.