*All-Americans Derek Hren, Charlie Pophal, Nathan Christian and Peter Simcox will help Saint Ignatius make the adjustment to the Northwest District this season.

Here is an outlook on the 2012-13 Wildcats swimmers and divers, courtesy of head coach Jeff Ridler.

From Coach Ridler:

Coming off a very successful season, the Wildcats look to continue in their pursuit toward moving up in the State Rankings.

This season will very closely mirror where the Wildcats were a year ago, with some challenges. Graduation has once again, like years previous, taken from the team a group of very talented young men who stepped up and contributed when needed.

In addition, the Wildcats, along with several other area teams, have been migrated into the Northwest District from the Northeast District due to the immense numbers of teams that compete here in the Northeast.

Even with those challenges, senior co-Captains Derek Hren (6-time All-American) and Charlie Pophal (3-time All-American) will lead a very young group of swimmers that are dedicated to each other and pay attention to all the small details that will help make this team great.

Both Derek and Charlie, along with fellow seniors Andre Bshara and Matt Friedl, and juniors Nathan Christian (5-time All-American), Abdo Dergham, and Peter Simcox (4-time All-American), strive to help their teammates elevate their training daily in order to once again rise to the top in district competition.

The Wildcats will attempt to repeat as district champions, despite facing the major challenge of defeating St. Francis in the Northwest competition. St. Francis placed third at the State Meet last season and Saint Ignatius was fifth.

Throughout the season, the Wildcats will be challenged in dual meets by some of the best teams in the state. That tough competition will help the team grow closer and ultimately raise their level of athletic abilities when it really matters, The State Meet.

From any outsider’s perspective looking in at a practice, he or she will instantly see that something special is happening every day.

The coaches are extremely excited to work with these outstanding young men and the swimmers are enthusiastic and relentless about what they are doing to improve.

Those things make for a great combination, where success that is not measured in wins and losses is sure to be inevitable.

Here is a look at how the Wildcats performed at last season’s State Meet, which was held in Canton on February 23-25, 2012.

Overall Team Score: 147 points

50 yd Free - 2nd place, Nathan Christian - 21.15

50 yd Free - 15th place, Charlie Pophal - 21.93

100 yd Breast - 2nd place, Derek Hren - 55.66

100 yd Fly - 11th place, Peter Simcox - 51.57

200 yd IM - 2nd place, Derek Hren - 1:50.34 NEW TEAM RECORD

200 yd Free Relay - 6th place, Christian, Simcox , Chamberlain, Hren - 1:25.81

400 yd Free Relay - 6th place, Christian , Simcox, Pophal, Hren - 3:08.26

200 yd Medley Relay - 4th place, Christian, Hren, Simcox, Pophal - 1:33.24 NEW TEAM RECORD

1 meter Diving - 11th place, Keith Carmichael - 423 points (11 dives)

1 meter Diving - 23rd place, Tristan Warder - 161.65 points (5 dives)

*For a complete look at the Wildcats’ 2012-13 schedule, go to www.ignatius.edu, click on the Athletics page and click on Swimming and Diving under the heading of Athletic Teams.

We wish all of the best this winter to the gifted Wildcats, Coach Ridler and his entire staff.