Knights’ senior hopes to continue last year’s success

Chris Cardwell nearly had a storybook finish to his junior swimming season at Lake Norman Charter.

Cardwell won an individual 1A/2A state championship in the 100-yard backstroke, setting a personal-record time of 52.98 seconds in a race that ended in a photo-finish tie with Carrboro’s Caleb Camp.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder also helped the 200 medley relay team to a state title, along with teammates Brian Davis, Jake Koferl and Brian Piccirilli, in a 1A/2A state record time of 1:40.8.

But after all those accomplishments, including a strong club season in the pool for his North Meck Aqua Devil club team and coach Mark Dell, Cardwell knew that he would have to start all over again for his senior year.

This season, he’s had to do it with a new coach, 24-year-old Kevin Happ. Although having a new face leading the way during his senior season isn’t exactly an ideal scenario, Cardwell quickly adjusted after finding how much he and his teammates could identify with their new coach.

“You always wonder what is going to happen when you get a new coach, and what they will be like,” Cardwell said. “But we all got along with Coach Happ immediately because he really understands what we are going through, having done it himself not so long ago. He was also a pretty good college swimmer (at Indiana) and he knows what it takes to swim in big meets.”

Cardwell said that he’s learned from his new coach.

“He definitely knows what he is doing and has given a lot of tips from his experience,” Cardwell said. “I thought I knew a lot, but he has pointed things out and given me ideas that I have never thought of.”

Cardwell, who has college interest from Davidson and Washington & Lee, is focused on earning a chance to swim collegiately, but first he has unfinished business at Lake Norman Charter.

Cardwell wants to repeat as the 100 backstroke state champion, and also hopes to help the revamped 200 medley relay team, along with Austin Jones, Drew Queen and Corrin Rothwell, compete for another title.

Cardwell also hopes his team’s individual and relay contributions are enough to add up to elusive state championship, which the Knights have come close to winning in the past two seasons. Lake Norman Charter’s boys have been state runner-up both of those years.

The Knights – the boys and girls – are having a strong year and are on track to challenge for a title with identical 15-0 marks.

“I really enjoy high school swimming because of the team aspect, and you get to compete for your school,” Cardwell said. “Since this is my last year, and we have been so close, we all want to go out with a championship.”

To do that, they will need big contributions from defending state diving champion Nathan Lane.

To do his part, Cardwell is working daily to improve his times.

In addition to the 100 backstroke, his favorite, he also swims the 50 and 100 freestyle and the 100 butterfly.

“I could tell Chris was very talented in the pool right away,” Happ said. “He is a really versatile guy that is good at nearly every stroke. He can really help us in the big meets because we can put him in a lot of different events if we need to.”

Cardwell’s versatility in the pool could be a major weapon for his team in its two biggest meets of the year. The 1A/2A West regional will be at Huntersville Aquatic Center Feb. 1, while the state championship will be Feb. 9 at Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary.

“I’m definitely trying to peak for regionals and states,” said Cardwell, noting he hopes to be in top form in March for his NOMAD team’s sectional and state competitions. “Once I dive into pool, I’m not really thinking about much at all. I’m just going as hard and I can, and looking at the flags. I don’t really even hear the crowd, but I wish I did. I want to hear it, because that means something good is happening.”