Luke Giguere nearly stopped swimming before his junior season at Belchertown.

“I didn’t really like it anymore,” the junior said. “I was doing it so much the past six years, every day for the past two years almost.”

Both he and the Orioles are glad he stuck with it. The Daily Hampshire Gazette Boys Swimmer of the Year captured Central/West sectional titles in the 100-yard butterfly and 100 backstroke, helping Belchertown to a top-four team finish. He also paced the Orioles’ 200 medley relay team to fourth and their 400 freestyle relay to third at the sectional meet. Giguere also reached two podiums at the Division 2 state championships, placing second in the 100 back and third in the 100 fly. Both of the Orioles’ relays finished in the top 10, and Belchertown took 11th as a team, the second-highest finish for a Western Massachusetts school.

He wouldn’t have been there without his teammates. The team dinners reminded him of what Belchertown swimming is about, and helping the Orioles’ younger swimmers reminded him of why he latched onto the sport initially.

“The atmosphere of the team… being able to hang out with my friends on the swim team and we were doing good at meets, too. Having other people qualify with me was a good sign,” Giguere said. “I wanted the younger kids to be able to push themselves to try and be with me in practice, to improve on themselves and contribute to the relays and points and stuff like that. Even though I’d have a good [relay] leg, I’d want them to have a good leg, too.”

Giguere started swimming competitively “six or seven” years ago after a swim lessons instructor pointed him toward the Belchertown Sting Rays club team. He noticed his own progression over the first few seasons and after winning a rec championship at age 10 told himself, “I’m pretty good at this.”

That led to more swimming and eventually his burnout. The parts of being on the team outside of the water made being in the water worth it.

“It’s a really fun team to be on,” Giguere said.

He also had to learn how to lead it. Giguere followed in a long lineage of Belchertown captains connecting his teammate last year Mitchell Dubey to swimmers like Chris Chumbley, Ben LaClair and Matthew Quinney.

“I had to learn it a little bit. I’ve been under people for a long time. I was under Mitch last year, on my other teams I’ve been under a lot of older people, too. This was the first year I’ve been at the top,” Giguere said. “I really figured it out by myself. I used a little of what I was seeing last year from the older guys.”

Giguere’s times dropped compared to last year but he didn’t capture an individual state title like he did as a sophomore.

“It’s weird seeing a kid from last year who placed lower than you all of a sudden beat you by over a second. It’s different how people progress throughout their years,” Giguere said.

He still has one more year to progress, too. Giguere is playing baseball this spring to give himself a break from the water. He’ll set his sights even higher in his senior season.

“I think there’s more for me in this,” Giguere said. “I don’t know what, but there’s something down there.”

FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS

Luke Giguere, junior, Belchertown

Derek Gould, junior, Belchertown

Ryan Gould, freshman, Belchertown

Tyler Hetu, junior, Easthampton

Samuel Kennedy, senior, Amherst

Jacob Laney, senior, Amherst

Callum McDonald, senior, Amherst

Tyler Palm, junior, Northampton

Brady Pijar, sophomore, Holyoke

SECOND TEAM ALL-STARS

Theo Bayne, junior, Northampton

Jay Johnston, senior, Amherst

Eli Laney, freshman, Amherst

Evander Maradiaga, senior, Amherst

Finn Nelson-Sanger, junior, Northampton

Brady Perkins, senior, Belchertown

Caleb Perron, sophomore, Belchertown

Brady Pete, senior, Holyoke

Ryan Shea, freshman, Belchertown

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