PORT ANGELES — The North Kitsap boys’ swim team jumped back into the newly-heated confines of its home pool this week, just in time to brush off the rust and get ready for the Feb. 6 and 7 district tournament.

But looking at the team’s results last Tuesday at the divisionals meet in Port Angeles, not much rust will need be shed.

The team swam 15 best times in 19 races in Roughrider territory, casting away doubts as to whether or not their being out of the pool for more than a month would really have that much of an adverse effect on the team.

“They were rocking (Tuesday),” said NK swim coach Greg Braun. “It was really just a terrific showing.”

In the 200 Medley relay, Brian Parrott, Jesse Feutz, William Almond and Jacob Rose sliced two seconds off their best time ever, coming in at 2:23.

And the list of broken records just kept rolling from there with 14 more best times for the purple and gold.

The team will continue to prepare for the district meet at Foss High School in Tacoma. Some of the Viking swimmers said they’ll do double-time to prepare for the event.

“A lot of us are going to do two practice days,” Feutz said.

And despite a season in which the team’s home pool was unusable for more than a month, co-captain Almond said the team has had its share of accomplishments.

“We can definitely take something positive from this season,” Almond commented. “It’s a growing and learning experience and we’ve had to be patient.”

And now, the eyes are on the prize.

“Our goal is to finish in the top 12 (at districts),” Almond said. “That’ll get us into the second day of districts.”

The team has had to condition in different ways since the boiler went down — finding limited time at other pools as well as training outside the water, running, doing push-ups and just about anything to stay in shape, Braun said.

“We’ve been the North Kitsap swim, dive, run, jump — you name it — team lately,” Braun said.

“I stayed in shape with the Piranhas team,” Almond said. “But we could only swim every other day.”

And though divisionals went well, the team is glad to have its pool back before districts.

“When you’re not using those muscles (specific to swimming), they start to weaken,” Almond said.

“(Conditioning) keeps you in shape but it’s nothing in comparison to being in the pool,” Feutz added.