Swimming is one of those sports that is scored as a team, but also has an individual side.

Salem will be competitive in some of their team meets this year, but the swimmers, when discussing goals, seemed more focused on what they hope to accomplish in the individual events.

“I hope to at least get a couple of more individual records this year,” said Salem Senior Emily Motsinger.

Motsinger is the current SHS record holder in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke, the 100-yard breaststroke and she is part of three record-holding relay teams at Salem.

One of the records she said she is chasing this year is the 100-yard freestyle and she added that she’d like to make a run at the 200-yard Individual medley.

“I am not sure what we can do as a team,” Motsinger said. “We are down a little on numbers, as far as boys and girls, but we will see what we can do.”

Motsinger is one of four seniors on the team.

Abby Bortka is a senior, as is Blanch Warren and Zihao Feng.

“I really want to break my 500 free record,” Bortka said. “As a team, I want us to break as many school records as possible.”

Bortka has broken the record in the 500-yard freestyle several times. The current record is 6:36.

She said she is optimistic about being able to break the record.

Warren is setting the bar high as far as her goals for the Salem swim teams this year.

“I really want us to get a bunch of sectional titles and to beat my own 200-IM record,” she said.

The record for the 200-yard individual medley is 3:07.

“It’s going to be hard to break it again,” Warren said.

Feng said he decided to swim because he don’t want to just stay in this winter and add pounds.

“I did swimming before and remember some of the skills from when I was in the sixth-grade in China,” he said.

Feng said he hasn’t decided what events he is going to do, but he is leaning toward the sprint-type races.

As for his goal for this year is a simple one, “I want to beat one of the girls, especially Emily (Motsinger)!”

There are only two juniors on second-year Head Coach Lindsey Akers’ team. They are, Dara Kaiser and Riley Kalb.

The two teams swam in the seasons’ first co-ed meet of the year Tuesday (results were not available at press time).

The Lady Lion swimmers already opened the season with a 146-33 loss to Jennings County.

The following are the results from that meet: Girls 200-Yard Medley Relay: Salem, third, (Emily Motsinger, Haley Motsinger, Blanch Warren, Abby Bortka); fourth, Salem (Alex Campbell, Rachel Heathcock, Dara Kaiser, Tabitha Sheperd) Girls 200-Yard freestyle: Bortka, fourth, Amanda May fifth, Dara Kaiser, sixth. Girls 200-Yard IM: E. Motsinger, third H. Motsinger, fifth and Warren sixth. Girls 50-Yard Freestyle: Campbell, fourth, Teyha Morrison, fifth and Brooklyn Ault. Girls 100-Yard Butterfly: 4 Warren, fourth and Kaiser, fifth Girls 100-Yard Freestyle: E. Motsinger, second, Campbell, fifth, Sheperd, sixth. Girls 500-Yard Freestyle: 3 Bortka, 5 May, 6 Heathcock Girls 200-Yard Freestyle Relay: Salem, third (May, Warren, Heathcock, Campbell) and fourth (Ault, Kaiser, Sheperd, Morrison). Girls 100-Yard Backstroke: Heathcock, fourth, Sheperd, fifth and Ault, sixth. Girls 100-Yard Breaststroke: H. Motsinger, fourth. Girls 400-Yard Freestyle Relay: Salem, third (Bortka, May, H. Motsinger, E. Motsinger)