Fifteen students at Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy are competing on the charter school's first swim team.

Eagles begin practice, race first meet

The Eagles, coached by economics and finance teacher Steve Lubrino, began practicing Aug. 17 at the pool at John Marble Park. Their inaugural meet came nine days later, on Aug. 26, against Lakewood Ranch High School and Parrish Community High School, according to Pulse of Manatee.

Roster mixes ages, experience levels

The roster spans grades six through 12. Eight girls and seven boys, ages 11 to 17, make up the squad. Half had never swum competitively before the 2026-27 season.

"I did not expect 15 kids the first year," Lubrino told Your Observer. "I was going to be happy with five kids, and 15 came out."

Coach spent a year building interest

Lubrino, who has coached the Lakewood Ranch Swim Association Lightning since 2016, first considered starting a school program during the final months of the 2024-25 academic year. He held interest meetings at the end of the 2025-26 school year and into the start of 2026-27, sent emails during summer 2026 and hung posters in hallways during the first week of the school year.

Full FHSAA membership opens postseason path

The timing matters. The 2026-27 academic year is LWR Prep's first as a full member of the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA), four years after the K-12 charter school opened. Full membership means the Eagles can compete in the postseason for the first time. In swimming, they are slotted into FHSAA District 8, Region 3, Class 1A.

Lubrino said he believes one or two swimmers could qualify for the regional meet in the team's inaugural season, though reaching the Class 1A state championship "might be a little bit of a reach."

Young swimmers race against older competitors

Most of the roster is middle schoolers racing against high schoolers. Seventh grader Braelyn Goddard, a year-round competitor with the Sarasota Tsunami club team, joined to test herself at the high school level. Senior Daniel Valderrama is the only 12th grader. He swam with the Lightning from the end of sixth grade through the beginning of ninth grade, left for soccer, then returned to the pool after a knee injury ended his soccer career.

Team eyes move to new aquatics center

The team practices Monday through Friday from 6:15 to 7:30 a.m. at John Marble Park before the school day starts. For the 2027-28 season, LWR Prep plans to move to the Olympic-size pool at the Athletics and Aquatics Center at Premier Sports Campus. The $44.2 million facility, which broke ground in February 2025 and will feature two pools and 24 pickleball courts, is expected to open by the end of 2026, according to Your Observer.