The Katy swimming and diving team was pleased with its 3-0 start, but all the same it knew it wouldn’t get too high until it saw how it performed Thursday night against perennial District 18-5A power Cinco Ranch.

“They’re such a larger team than us and they have a lot more club swimmers who (go to) Katy Aquatic and places like that than we do,” Katy senior Michael Rakoski said. “Some of them have more experience than we do, so we like to see how we can measure up to them.”

The Tigers didn’t win, but they promised themselves they wouldn’t let one loss spoil a promising beginning.

Impacted by 18 graduations the past two seasons, Katy has continued racking up impressive point totals early this year. The Tigers teams combined for 232 against Cypress Woods and 238 against Alief Hastings; the girls team is undefeated and the boys team has a loss and a tie.

“Since we do have such a new team, everything is a surprise. I never know what I’ll see,” coach Kelly Hume said. “You see them in practice but until you get into a competitive setting you’re never quite sure.”

Cinco Ranch’s girls led by 55 points and the boys were up more than 100 halfway through the meet. Official results and team scores were not available immediately afterwards.

The girls team has been paced by 200 IM swimmer Ali Bower, senior backstroker/sprinter Amanda Atchley, and seniors Catie Morris and Kasey Manke.

Morris, a regional finalist and qualifier to the prestigious TISCA (Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association) meet in 2006-07, is expected to resume practice Friday after being sidelined by a shoulder injury.

Atchley also qualified for TISCA last year.

Third-year varsity swimmer Rakoski paces the boys team, which has only seven swimmers partly because of the massive turnout for Katy’s traditionally powerful football program.

Rakoski, a part of last year’s regional-qualifying 200 free relay team, swims the 50 and 100 freestyle and two relays, the 200 free and 200 medley.

Hume hasn’t been shy about switching swimmers between several events. It’s a practice she plans to continue for at least the first few weeks of the season.

“We like to try different things because you like to see them shine at some things you didn’t necessarily know they’d be good at,” she said. “We have a really new group of people but they’re very energetic. They might look at us a little skeptical but as soon as someone breaks a barrier or accomplishes something, they say ‘I can do that! I can do that!.’ And the nice thing is we’ve had the leadership and accomplishments spread out.”

Katy competes in the Spring Branch Invitational Saturday and has district meets against Mayde Creek, Morton Ranch and Seven Lakes before several Tigers compete in the TISCA meet Dec. 14 and 15 at the University of Houston.

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