When you think winter sports in Park City, swimming may not come first to mind.  But the Miners boys and girls swim teams are working to change that narrative. The two teams have won three combined state championships over the last two seasons, including two-straight wins on the girls side, and are chasing more as their numbers continue to climb.  “We have a huge swim team right now,” said assistant coach Heather Flynn. “It’s super exciting. We’ve got 55 swimmers: 29 boys and 26 girls.” Park City’s past few swim teams have been led by stars who have gone on to swim in college. Flynn said the rise in participation will help the boys team, who finished second in 4A last season, to get back to the top.  “We had a big eighth grade class come into high school that were club swimmers,” Flynn said. “And then the culture that I’ve built with water polo is that swimming is absolutely critical to your success in water polo. So we have had every single one of our high school players join swim team for the first time in the seven years that I’ve been coaching.” Flynn is the head coach of the club water polo organization in town, and she’s the primary assistant on head coach Gadi Shamah’s swim staff. Flynn often leads coaching for the swimmers who also play water polo, as well as those Shamah doesn’t coach during club swimming season. Shamah has won back-to-back Utah High School Activities Association Coach of the Year awards.  The Miners will take on regional foe East at 3 p.m. on Tuesday at the Park City Aquatic Center. Flynn said East hasn’t been Park City’s stiffest competition in the past. The team typically uses the Kearns invitational before Christmas and their own January invitational to measure their readiness.  “(The Kearns) meet has about a dozen teams, and they include 5A and 6A teams,” Flynn said. “Traditionally, we’ve done really well at that meet, so that’s what we’re aiming to do again this year and to see people get some times on the board that will help them qualify for state.” In addition to the state meet on Feb. 12 and 13 at BYU, Flynn would also like her teams to claim the regional championships, which will be held just before state. In addition to the depth that will help the Miners get this done, Flynn also thinks they have similar starpower to years past.  “We have 10 seniors,” Flynn said. “Gavin (Ziesler) is a senior. He is looking to try to play water polo in college. Harrison Bae is a senior. Really, really quick club swimmer who’s also hoping to swim in college.” Park City hopes all of the offseason work the swimmers have done will help them hit the ground running or, rather, hit the pool swimming. They’ve been practicing together since Oct. 15.  After the East meet, the Miners will welcome Skyline and Jordan to the aquatic center on Nov. 17.  For further information about the team, including a complete schedule for this season, see their website: parkcityswimming.net/pchs-swim.  The post Miners boys and girls swim teams return for another season appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less