Submitted photo Boardman senior swimmers, from left, Jordan Stackpole, Will Linker, River Flatley, Matthew DunLany and Noah Basista will swim competitively together one final time this week in the state meet at Canton.

Will Linker had a persistent cough for about a month. A sinus infection followed. Sickness lingered as the Division I district meet at Cleveland State University loomed close — a couple of days from a chance to go to the state swim meet.

There was no way the Boardman High School senior swimmer would let temporary inconveniences come between him — and his other senior friends — and a trip to the C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton.

Noah Basista, a Bucknell University recruit, missed most of the week leading up to the district meet. He felt the pressure around his head and chest, surrounding him like a black cloud. Basista had upper-respiratory issues along with chills.

Swimmers usually use their energy to prepare to swim at district, trying to qualify for state. These Boardman swimmers had to muster the energy to just function in Cleveland.

The 400-yard freestyle relay of Linker, Basista, Matthew DunLany and Jordan Stackpole automatically qualified for state by finishing second.

Linker, DunLany, Basista and River Flatley were third in the 200 freestyle relay. Basista and DunLany also made state in individual events.

Now, these five Boardman seniors have shaken the sickness. Starting Friday morning at the Division I state preliminaries, they want to shed the rest of the state competition. The finals are Saturday afternoon.

“The state of Ohio is going to have five healthy Boardman guys coming at them this week,” Basista said.

They’ve known each other since they’ve been younger, around age 8 — swimming in the Boardman-area youth programs.

Going to state this time isn’t that new to them. DunLany and Basista are in Canton for the fourth-straight year.

“I do expect they’re more relaxed. There’s kind of a brotherhood bond,” Boardman coach Carlo Cordon said.

These athletes do not have their own practice facility, having to schedule time at the Beeghly Natatorium on the campus of Youngstown State University.

They arrive about 6 a.m., two days a week, for dry land training in the weight room connected to the football stadium.

“When they get in the water they’re more powerful,” Cordon said.

The bond between the five seniors is unbreakable.

“It’s truly an honor to swim with each and every one of these guys at state,” said Linker, who will swim at YSU next season. “We trained so hard all year and to finally obtain our main goal of qualifying for state is a great feeling of accomplishment. I consider all these guys as my brothers and would not want to swim my last meet as a Boardman Spartan any other way.”

Playing video games, going out to eat, playing poker, they hang out with one another, in and out of the water.

“It means a lot to swim at state one last time together,” said Stackpole, who is looking at a couple of places to swim for next season. “We’re all seniors and we know this is the last meet of high school we get to attend together before we all part ways in the swimming world. I’ve been swimming with these guys for a long time and we have made many memories throughout all the years together, and we’re really excited for this last meet together to make more memories.”

It’s been almost a decade-long bond for these five.

“It’s amazing to be able to swim with these guys at the state meet,” said DunLany, who will swim for the Merchant Marine Academy next season. “They are some of my closest friends and great swimmers.”

Staying healthy, that’s what the Boardman team needs to do this weekend.

“This weekend we have to make sure we get good sleep and stay healthy so we can all swim good times and have a faster time than we did at districts,” said Flatley, who is deciding between John Carroll University and YSU to swim for next season.