Swimming teams typically have relatively small rosters, so MaryLauren Burke was pleasantly surprised to see eight freshmen come out for the boys team this winter.

“It was great to see so many new guys try out that we were not expecting to see,” Burke said. “Having a larger group of underclassmen brings an entirely different environment to the team. I think it’s something that’s very fun, to see a lot of new faces in the program.”

Leading the way for Hopkinton this winter are returning captains Andy Li and Owen Picard. Li competes primarily in the breaststroke and the individual medley.

“He has always been great at rounding out our medley relay,” Burke said of Li.

Picard is expected to play a big role in the sprint freestyle events after qualifying in both events last year for both the sectional and state meets. Picard also helped some of the relay teams qualify by giving them a boost in the freestyle, Burke noted.

Sophomore Aiden Burke also is back this winter and is one of Hopkinton’s more versatile swimmers.

“He is a very sturdy freestyler, first and foremost, but he does a little bit of breaststroke as well,” his coach said. “He thrives in the long distance races, too. Last year, he was close in qualifying for the postseason in the 500 freestyle, and I think that is something he can do this season.”

Sophomore Arnav Dutta is another young swimmer with experience at the varsity level, and his skill in the butterfly is something Burke will count on this winter.

“The butterfly can be a very difficult stroke to fill in the medley relay, and it’s great to have someone to compete in one of the more difficult sections of that race,” Burke said.

All four of the returning swimmers qualified for the sectional meet last winter, and Picard went to states as well. That core group coupled with the deep crop of newcomers has Burke feeling optimistic about the season.

“I am excited to see them compete, especially against some of the stronger teams in our league,” Burke said. “The boys have a lot of potential to be more competitive in the Tri-Valley League meet. We had a couple of holes in the lineup last year, but I think we have rounded it out and filled them in quite nicely.”

Burke comes to the head coaching job after serving as an assistant last year. She earned postseason spots all four years during her own swimming career at HHS, and she said she is looking forward to helping her swimmers develop this winter and beyond.

“There is a lot of raw talent that we can see poking through already, even after just the first handful of practices,” Burke said. “We are excited to work towards refining that talent and making lifelong swimmers out of them.”