State championships do not come easily for most teams, but the women’s swimming and diving team is not like most teams. In fact, swimmer and senior Margaret Ramsey can not even remember the last time the team was not crowned a State champion. The reason? She wasn’t even born yet.

When Ramsey began swimming competitively at age 6, the team had already captured its 13th straight State Championship. This winter, Ramsey and her teammates look to double that number as they go for their 26th in a row, a number that would give the team the third longest streak of any team in the nation. Ever. So how do they do it? How can a team be so good for so long? The question elicited a bit of a chuckle from Ramsey.

“Probably a combination of a lot of things,” Ramsey said. “We have a lot of depth, but it definitely starts with the Carmel Swim Club. They play a huge part in our success.”

Head Coach Chris Plumb, who is in his sixth season as coach of the team, said he agreed with Ramsey that there are many reasons for the team’s success, with the Carmel Swim Club topping the list.

“There are several reasons,” Plumb said. “The Carmel Swim Club, high expectations, school support, a fantastic facility and a terrific coaching staff, just to name a few. But I believe that the Carmel Swim Club has been a steady force through all the success, and then, when the athletes get to high school, they are able to take it to another level.”

Swimmer and junior Lacey Locke, who also began swimming competitively at age 6, said the continued success that the program has had is a direct result of the hard work that every swimmer puts in and the confidence that comes from that.

“We’re kind of known for practicing really hard here,” Locke said.

According to Locke, the team normally practices about 11 times per week, with each practice lasting for two hours. Locke said all of that hard work leads her and her team to be even more confident in their abilities.

“In order to be good, you have to have a confidence level where you know you are capable of doing things like winning as consistently as we have,” Locke said.

Plumb said, even after six straight seasons of watching his team bring home the State Championship, winning it all continues to be his favorite moment of each year.

“It is an incredible feeling to look up in the stands and see the support that the team has and, at the same time, watch our girls swim fast in the pool,” Plumb said.

But according to Ramsey, after performing well so consistently for such a long period of time, a State Championship doesn’t quite have the mystique and glamour for this program as it might for some others.

“(Winning State) is still a big deal to us, but we’re always looking at the bigger picture,” Ramsey said. “When we are at State, of course we are only thinking about that race though.”

The bigger picture, Ramsey said, includes trying to win a National championship. In both of the last two years, the team has been the top public school in the nation.

“We will hopefully once again be vying for the National championship this year,” Ramsey said.

Locke echoed Ramsey’s statement, saying the team looks forward to the State Championship meet, but it has other goals as well.

“We have our eyes on a bigger prize,” Locke said.

As for who deserves the most credit for the team’s long run of success, the swimmers and coaches did not exactly share the same opinion.

The athletes, Ramsey and Locke, both firmly stated it is the coaching staff that deserves most of the credit. Plumb, though, had a much different opinion of who deserves the credit for 25 straight State Championships.

“Definitely the athletes,” Plumb said. “But especially the senior athletes and their leadership. They have been able to take the messages from the coaches to the team.”

Regardless of who or what deserves credit for the dynasty, both the players and coaches said they recognize they are a part of a special program.

“Being a part of this team is really awesome,” Ramsey said. “Being part of this legacy and having everyone from the past supporting us, with the legacy continuing from team to team, is really special.”

Locke echoed Ramsey, acknowledging that she does not take being part of such a special program for granted.

“It’s amazing to have the opportunity to keep the tradition of Carmel swimming alive and work as a team towards a common goal,” Locke said. “It’s just a really cool and special thing.”

Plumb summarized his thoughts on the program in just a single sentence.

He said, “It is truly an honor and privilege to be part of such a rich history.”

And so Locke and her teammates just continue to, as she put it, “do what they do.” It has been a quarter of a century since the last time the team was not crowned State Champion, and the team has every intention of continuing its record-breaking streak.

When asked if she had ever thought about the idea that the team might not win forever, Locke gave a sly smile and an immediate response.

“No,” she said. She then paused and thought about the question for a moment, but her second response was no different. “Nope.”