Success is nothing new for the Flower Mound girls swim and dive team, but after years of regional dominance, the Lady Jaguars believe this season could push them into the state’s elite.
The three-time defending regional champion has its eyes set on a medal at state in 2026, and coach Tony Arbogast said his swimmers and divers have been putting in the work each day to accomplish that goal.
But beyond the hardware, the Lady Jaguars definitely want to finish in the top five at the state swim meet as a team this year, and Arbogast said to accomplish that objective, it will take a couple of things.
“I would say just trying to get the athletes in the events that they have the most opportunity to succeed,” Arbogast said. “Relays are doing well to help boost the team points. The goal is always to improve on their performance and hopefully that leads to placing high.”
And Flower Mound is accustomed to placing high.
The Lady Jaguars’ 4X200 medley relay team finished seventh at state last season, while seven underclassman qualified for the meet, and winning a competition like the regional meet three straight seasons is a rare feat.
Arbogast said it is “definitely something to be proud of and strive for,” each season.
“A big factor is the depth that we have in the program,” Arbogast said. “Each season we have had underclassmen step up and fill the shoes of those that graduated. That is a really point of emphasis each year is trying to take that next step in their events and move up.”
The girl’s team has already won a district championship in 2026, and Claire Uliasz, who has committed to the University of Rhode Island and was a member of the medley relay team that placed 7th at state last season, said while she would love a top 5 finish at state, her goals for 2026 mainly revolve around improving personally and as a team.
“Individually, I just want to keep getting better and end my senior season proud of the work I put in,” Uliasz said. “That means dropping time, racing confidently, and being consistent in how I show up every day. As a team, our main goal is to push each other into the best athletes we can be.
“We want to compete at a high level, but also make sure everyone feels supported and locked in as we head toward district, regionals, and state.”
Flower Mound has been knocking on the door for a while, finishing 10th overall at the state meet in 2025 as a team.
But it takes hard work, dedication, and the ability to multi-task to carry on the level of success the Lady Jags have enjoyed.
That has been the biggest trick for many of the swimmers, as McKennah Greer, who has verbally committed to the University of Houston, said the greatest stumbling block she has faced is staying on top of things.
“The biggest challenge throughout my time at FMHS has been finding a balance between school and swim,” Greer said. “We have practice for the school every morning, and many of us have another practice for a club team after school.
“Keeping up with schoolwork gets challenging at times, especially when you are already tired from practice. This sport has taught me how important it is to manage your time well to get work done on time.”
Another standout for the Flower Mound swim team is Eva Lofthus, who has committed to Washington University in St. Louis and said a top five finish at state this season would be special.
“It would be incredibly meaningful,” Loftus said. “There is a lot of hard work and dedication that each swimmer puts in throughout the season and, to me, achieving a finish like that would be a sweet ending for both this season and my time on the team.”
Flower Mound is in a strong position to finish top five at state in 2026, and Arbogast said like every season, he wants his kids to have fun, work hard and try their best to score as high as they can as a team, while also imparting on his athletes some core values he believes will translate to success.
“Work ethic, discipline, teamwork and time management,” Arbogast said. “This sport has a lot of individual aspects to it, but it’s understanding how that all fits in with the team. As students with many of them doing other actives, trying to balance swim, school, social life, etc., can be challenging and understanding how to handle it all (is important).”
