For coaches, hunger for a first-time victory can be the greatest motivating tool in their arsenal. Sandpoint High swimming head coach Greg Jackson doesn't have that.

His girls' team has won four straight 5A State titles, while his boys' team is fresh off back-to-back 5A State titles.  

"We are approaching a point, or actually have reached the point, especially on the girls' team, [where] they don't know what it's like to lose," Jackson said. "We need to not be complacent in that. It is always a possibility." 

That means Jackson needs to find creative ways to push his team to greatness and meet the standard that the Bulldogs of the past have set. For this season, Jackson is pushing his athletes to want to win, not expect to. 

"It's disrespectful to assume that you are the best, you're going to win," Jackson said. "We just need to make sure that we're keeping that at our forefront, never ever want to be cocky and always want to be working to get better." 

Jackson stressed the need for his team to continue to improve in and out of the pool and carry themselves with a championship standard. He said that mindset starts with his four team captains: Lou Foust, Bodi Demmons, Hallie Wyman and Summer Loutzenhiser, who uphold the Bulldogs' welcoming culture. 

Demmons, a junior, said his mentality is to lead by example. He said that starts with being a leader out of the pool during preparation for swims or for fundraisers that the team is putting on. 

"We got a bunch of kids out here that swim on a one-on-one basis, make points by winning an individual race, but at the end of the day, we have a team behind them that's supporting them and encouraging them and allowing them to succeed," Jackson said. 

In the pool, the Bulldogs will be without star seniors Kale Wright, Kai Leavitt, McCoy Jensen, Rachel Aylward and Reina Montecchi, many of whom set school records at the 5A State championship last year. Demmons said he knows that the team lost some key pieces but believes they can still reach the mountain top thanks to hard work and a few special newcomers. 

Incoming freshman Joshua Jackson was mentioned by both Demmons and head coach Greg Jackson as someone who can be an immediate contributor. Jackson has been having a summer to remember for the local Sandpoint Sharks swim club, which includes a third-place finish at the Long Bridge swim, beating Demmons, and a trip to Boise for a regional competition. 

On the girls side, another Sandpoint Sharks rising star, Myelle Jensen, is also making the step up to high school. Jensen attended the same regional meet in Boise as Jackson and won her age group at the Long Bridge swim. 

"There are certainly a lot of expectations behind them scoring some individual points and contributing some strength to relays," head coach Greg Jackson said of the two freshmen. 

The team's four captains should not be forgotten, though, with Jackson praising now-senior Loutzenhiser and Wyman for their leadership on a girls team packed with talented sophomores. 

"They're a very, very good example of what it means to be a Bulldog," Jackson said of all his captains. "Having them in the water and demonstrating what it's like to be a part of this program and how to do that is going to be very, very valuable because we have a young team." 

Despite the youth, the expectations remain sky high for Jackson's Bulldogs. The head coach said he expects his team to once again be contenders at the state level. 

"We are working on mastering skills this week, but we will be in a very rigorous conditioning program beginning next week," Jackson said. "Our goal is to exceed our expectations, whether that be in or out of the water." 

FUN FACT: Incoming freshman Joshua Jackson is the son of the head coach Greg Jackson, who also graduated from Sandpoint High School in 2000. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH: BOYS — Bodi Demmons, jr.; Lou Foust, jr.; Joshua Jackson, fr. GIRLS — Hallie Wyman, sr.; Summer Loutzenhiser, sr.; Myelle Jensen, fr. 

MOST ANTICIPATED MEET: Brave Knight Invitational, 9/25-26. Jackson said this meet will give his team experience in a championship-style format, putting similar pressure on them that they'll feel at the state level while competing against some of the best in the region. 

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