After Thursday’s last county meet, the Saint Stephen’s Academic team will be sending seniors Shubham Mathur and Alex O’Dell to the state-level competition.

Media Specialist Ms. Christina Pommer, who coaches the team, said she was thrilled with their performance this year.

“They really jelled together,” she said.

Pommer added that because the state competition is similar to the county meets, the team will practice weekly with other county members who are also going to States.

“Starting in February, we will be practicing with two boys from Southeast and two boys from Manatee High,” she said. This will help O’Dell and Mathur to keep their skills sharp, she explained.

Mathur said he is optimistic about the future of the team, and the team’s results this year already show progress.

“Last year no one from Saint Stephen’s went,” he said, adding that he was proud of his and O’Dell’s successes.

O’Dell said he was also pleased.

“Even though [we had] that one bad meet that really pulled down our score, we were still third in the county,” he said, adding, “I feel like I have completed what I had set out to do.”

The Academic team will be competing at the state competition in April.