The 2011-12 Redmond High boys’ swim team may not be the most talented or fast team head coach Julie Barashkoff has ever coached, but they are certainly one of of the most diverse.

A solid turnout of 40 swimmers this year includes a fairly equal mix of seniors, juniors and sophomores, with impact athletes coming from each grade level, in addition to a pair of promising freshmen.

The team also returns two of the state’s best divers in Phillip and Eric Klassen, who finished third and 12th, respectively, at the 4A state meet last year.

“They’re huge,” said Barashkoff on the Klassen brothers’ impact on the team. “Hopefully we’ll have some relays and individuals make it in with the divers, but we expect the Klassens to perform very well on the board.”

In the pool, the Mustangs will be led by juniors Nicholas Kodati and Michael Pavlov, who are looking solid in the butterfly and are also fast in the freestyle.

As for upperclassmen, Drew McWhirter and Cody Beliel are both looking to contribute to the team’s state-qualifying relays and perhaps a freestyle berth, and sophomore Albert Jiang is a highly capable back and breaststroker.

Finally, at the freshman level, the Mustangs inherited a couple young talents in Xavier Graham, who will contribute as a breaststroker and in the IM, and Ryan Harper, younger brother of 2010 state breaststroke champion Heather Harper, is a pure sprinter.

“(Harper) has been sick, battling (an illness), so he hasn’t been 100 percent,” Barashkoff said. “But I’d rather have him healthy for the end of the season.”

On her other star freshman Graham (below), the eighth-year coach added, “He’s going to be a good part of our individuals and relays this year.”

In the short amount of time the Mustangs have been swimming this season, however, the team has shown marked improvement.

With the Klassens a virtual lock to make state again for diving, Barashkoff would love nothing more than to have her team represented in the pool as well, with her relay teams progressing at an alarming rate and Kodati and Pavlov a threat to advance in the fly.

As for sending a relay to state, in a dual meet Dec. 15, Redmond beat Eastlake and Inglemoor by a slim margin, with the Mustangs out-touching Wolves’ superstar Edward Kim at the wall in the 400 free relay to bring home the team win.

“We dropped 10 seconds on Thursday in our 400 free relay,” Barashkoff noted. “We still have about six or seven to go, but it’s fast. I think they can get in there.”