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Noah Holt is the lone senior on the Packer boys swimming and diving team this season, which means his leadership role is a vast one, especially considering that Austin has a young squad this season.

Holt was honored on senior night, Pink Out Night and parents night as the Packers lost to Winona 98-68 in Bud Higgins Pool Thursday.

Holt swam on the first place finishing 400-freestyle relay team and he took second in the 50-freestyle, but his contributions have gone well beyond his finishing times this season.

“I’m just trying to be the best role model that I can be,” Holt said. “I know that I’m going to have a pretty big influence on a lot of these kids. I’m just trying to show them how to be good people and good swimmers.”

Holt wasn’t the only swimmer in his grade when he began swimming, but he’s the only one left. He’s stayed motivated by chasing after PR times this season and it has paid off for him.

“I’m not the type of person to just quit. It’s my senior year and some of my friends didn’t stick with it, but I just wanted to stick with it and see how well I could do,” Holt said. “I like seeing improvements.”

Austin junior Brent Dahl had a big night in the pool as well as he took first in the 200-yard breaststroke and first in the 100-yard butterfly, with a time that was within a couple of seconds of the AHS record. Dahl, who has already broken AHS grad Rafe Dolan Peterson’s backstroke record this season, said that Holt’s leadership has helped motivate the entire team.

“It’s really nice to have someone older on the team,” Dahl said. “Noah and I kind of lead practice every day. It’s sometimes a little difficult because the younger guys are way behind us and we have to be louder, but we get the job done.”

Dahl will continue to chase after AHS records and he has big goals as the season winds down. However, he also realizes that at it’s core, swimming is a sport where you compete against yourself.

“Everyone can’t be the fastest one in the pool and you can’t compare yourself to other people in the pool,” Dahl said. “Comparison is the thief of joy. You’ve got to go against yourself if you want to be happy.”

Holt acknowledged that swimmers like Dahl are tough to keep up with, but that has never stopped Holt from swimming as hard as he can every day.

“Being on a team with somebody with Brent’s skill, you’re always going to have someone like Brent (in the pool),” Holt said. “But seeing yourself improve is probably the most important thing. You keep moving forward. I’m not breaking records, but I’m totally fine with just seeing myself improve.”

AUSTIN RESULTS

200-medley relay: Brent Dahl, Simon Pischke, Noah Holt, Olin Burke (third, 1:54.58)

200-breaststroke: Brent Dahl (first, 2:16.21); Hunter Peters (fourth, 2:26.89)

200-individual medley: Simon Pischke (second, 2:22.31)

50-freestyle: Noah Holt (second, 25.35); Olin Burke (fifth, 28.48); Kael Purkapile (sixth, 28.57)

Diving: Liam Farr (fourth, 109.10)

100-butterfly: Brent Dahl (first, 51.95); Olin Burke (fourth, 1:14)

100-freestyle: Hunter Peters (fifth, 52.59); Tito Blake Barona (fifth, 1:06.66)

500-freestyle: Noah Holt (fourth, 6:03.22)

200-freestyle relay: Hunter Peters, Tito Blake Barona, Simon Pischke, Olin Burke (third, 1:48.02)

100-backstroke: Kael Purkapile (fourth, 1:20.30); Tito Blake Barona (fifth, 1:24.00)

100-breaststroke: Simon Pischke (second, 1:15.72); Jude Giovanetti (fourth, 1:36.53)

400-freestyle relay: Brent Dahl, Hunter Peters, Kael Purkapile, Noah Holt first, 3:40.70)