A year ago, the Minot Magicians boys swim and dive team captured its 29th state championship in program history, the most in the Western Dakota Association by a wide margin. It also happened to be the fourth consecutive state crown for the Magi.

This season, Minot will embark on its journey for a fifth consecutive championship starting on Saturday, Dec. 11 at Bismarck in a dual meet against the Legacy Sabers.

The Minot Daily News reached out to 14th-year head coach Jake Solper to get his perspective on the upcoming campaign and what he expects from his student athletes this winter.

MDN: Talk about how training camp has gone so far and what the offseason was like for members of the team.

Solper: We are excited to be underway for the season. The guys have started the season with enthusiasm, focus, and intensity. A solid number of swimmers spent time in the offseason competing in other sports, participating in dry land training programs, and/or training with the club program in the preseason swim program. The dedication of the athletes is phenomenal and we are looking forward to getting into the competitive portion of the season.

MDN: Dominic Yoder and Josh Boen were a huge part of the program’s success last year. With their graduation, how do you plan to replace that level of productivity?

Solper: Each year, we unfortunately graduate spectacular athletes. Last year was no exception. At the state meet, Dominic Yoder and Josh Boen were on our first-place record-setting 200 medley relay team and also helped win first place in the 400 freestyle relay. Dominic and Josh were first and second in the 200 IM respectively as well.

Dominic won the 100 backstroke and Josh came in second in the 100 breaststroke. The two contributed to 154 of the team’s 433 total points at the state meet. Their contributions and leadership led our team to last year’s title. Now, just like every other program in the state, it is this year’s seniors who will need to lead the charge via their leadership and competitive contributions.

We are fortunate to have a top notch senior class this season supported by incredible athletes at every grade level. This year’s team will figure out our current strengths and weaknesses and will work to enhance our areas of weakness while utilizing our strengths to put our best foot forward. It is always enjoyable to navigate through a season as we learn more about our team and watch as athletes take on the challenge of realizing their competitive potential in any area the team needs.

MDN: How many seniors do you have on this year’s team and what is your overall expectation level out of your upperclassmen?

Solper: This season we have 52 athletes on our roster being led by 13 seniors. Even though it is extremely early in the season, we have an unwavering confidence that this year’s senior class will provide the leadership, culture, and competitive edge that our team needs to realize its full potential.

MDN: Going into the road meet against Legacy on Dec. 11, what would you say is the biggest strength your swimmers bring to the table?

Solper: The first several meets of the season are our opportunity to start learning about our team’s areas of strength and weakness. It is already apparent that some of our biggest strengths this year will be competitive drive, dedication, determination, and a positive team culture. We will learn more about event specific strengths throughout the season.

One specific area we know we will be counting on heavily this year will be our diving crew. We are so fortunate to have some very seasoned divers who are highly motivated to help drive the team’s success. Last year, our divers scored 42 points in diving at the state meet alone. We look forward to their exceptional performances this season.

MDN: What is the most enjoyable aspect of embarking on another season with the Magi?

Solper: I feel so fortunate to be part of such an incredible program surrounded by even more incredible athletes and coaches.