MISSION — Saturday meets can be a pressure cooker for many swimmers, even for the elite-tier competitors. Confidence goes a long way, and the athlete who feels the most comfortable has an edge, even if only psychologically.
So, Sharyland High’s Luciano Farias-Ramirez manages stress by dancing before jumping onto the starting block.
Even as his senior season approaches crunch time, the Rattlers’ top swimmer is balancing working harder than ever and savoring his time with his aquatic family.
“I’ve been keeping this mentality: It’s my last season, gotta go the hardest,” Farias-Ramirez said. “Really, it’s just been, ‘Have fun with it.’ Enjoy the friends that I’ve made over the years, because not every one has been just high school. I’ve been swimming outside of school. Everyone I know from swimming, it’s been six, seven, eight years. It’s been keeping my friends close and just having fun.”
Through the fun, Farias-Ramirez has undergone a metamorphosis. He’s having a good time with his peers, but that hasn’t cut into his laser focus on improving. As the prospect of signing to a Division I program becomes more real, he has been eating healthier and hitting the gym more. The results are clear physically and on the time sheet.
“He’s been weight training, eating right, and I’m really excited for this year,” Sharyland High coach Tina Jensen said. “He’s just maturing, as well. Knowing what to do as you go through the process, I think he’s learned a lot. With college being right around the corner, there isn’t any more time to not do everything you possibly can.”
The backstroke and butterfly specialist has spent much of his training focused on those two events, but he has been staying away from those swims at meets to keep his improvement somewhat a secret.
“Really, this year has been more or less kept it on the low,” Farias-Ramirez said. “I’ve been really putting in a lot of extra work, so I haven’t been really wanting to try out my events, just to give them a rest and see if I can really pop out at district and regionals.”
Last season, he placed 13th at the Class 5A state meet with a time of 52.45 seconds in the butterfly and ranked 17th — just out of qualifying for the final day — in the backstroke with a time of 53.94.
Farias-Ramirez said he’s matured from his first year in high school and spoke fondly of Bannworth Natatorium in Mission, which is home to many of his practices and the 31-5A district meet.
“This pool is the pool where my Sharyland coach was able to see my talent before even I did,” Farias-Ramirez said. “Freshman year, I remember I complained a lot about what (events) she had put me in. It worked out. I made state. She knew, and I guess my biggest memory here is my coach seeing what I can do and giving me the trust that she gave me.”
The time for reminiscing hasn’t come yet. Farias-Ramirez still has work to do, but occasionally the reality sets in.
“It’s honestly kind of weird,” Farias-Ramirez said. “It hits me at times, but it goes away, thinking, ‘Oh, I’m 18. Oh, I’m the oldest of this class.’ It still hasn’t really hit that I’m the role model.”
Farias-Ramirez holds many records for Sharyland High swimming, ensuring he’ll stay in the Rattlers’ memory for years to come.
“He’s gotten a couple of trophies every single year that he’s set anew,” Jensen said. “And he’s beaten his own record almost every year, as well. That’s one thing he’ll leave behind. The kids will always see his name, and they’ll be gunning for him. It gives you a goal and a standard to go by.”