Mount Rainier, Mount Rainier, Mount Rainier. Utter domination of high school swimming.

Yes, boys.

And especially dominant were the Rams back in 2001-2003 when they won state each of those three seasons.

“It was a dynasty,” said current Rams coach Omar Cruz.

Utterly. Could the Rams do it again?

After beating rival Kennedy, a third-place state finisher last season and, just looking at how utterly dominating they did it, 118-68, with the Lancers winning five of the 11 events, shows maybe there is more in the tank -- a lot more this season -- after action at the Foster pool Thursday.

So, a return to the glory days under Rick Wertman, which won the title three years in a row but won a couple other state titles under him, too, in his 15-20 years coaching the Rams. Now Wertman is a swim director at a prestigious swimming academy in New Mexico.

“Big shoes to fill,” said Cruz, whose team did lose five first places in events but in all those races the depth of getting second, third, fourth and fifth points nixed out all but the 100 breaststroke for an “event win.”

Rams swimmer Dean Strand’s father Curtis was talking with Strand opening the conversation.

“How are we doing,” he asked Cruz, both sitting on a wood bench at the end of the pool

“We’re doing well,” said Cruz. “We’re winning everything.”

“Except the 50 free,” said Strand.

Cruz answered, “No, we won that, too. We took it on points.”

And they sure did, as Kennedy’s Paul Jovanovich took first but the Rams’ Matt Jude notched second, Curtis Strand took third and John Ester took fourth. Kennedy’s next swimmer came across fifth.

Add up the points and it’s six points to Kennedy for first and one point for fifth, so, seven points total. And the Rams? Second gets four points, third gets three points, and fourth gets two. So the Rams won that event, 9-7, despite not taking first place.

Depth is something the Rams have a lot of as that one event broken down proves.

“I think we have 60-70 swimmers, including diving,” said Jude, who took fourth place in the 100 free at state last February and was on a couple Rams state relay teams.

He thinks they have a good dual meet team like last year or state team too, maybe winning state.

“Both,” said Jude, a junior. He and Mac Lowry produced the biggest numbers at state, with Lowry to defend his 500 free title won last year. He was not at this particular meet.

First coach, in the state of Washington, restarting the Wertman tradition?

Cruz laughed.

“I don’t call that kind of stuff,” he said. “I expect a strong showing at state...better than last year.”

The Rams took fifth last year.

Cruz keeps this team going strong in the water and out, making sure they get in the water for their events.

“If you are swimming the second half,” he said, speaking after the diving portion ended and Casey Petrick of Kennedy won it, “then you need to be down there in that water.”

He keeps a tight ship, according to Jude.

“He is motivational and a strict guy, and makes us work hard,” said Jude. “But he is one of the nicest teachers at our school and fun to be around.”

Cruz was kidding around with a junior varsity swimmer on the team, Philip Thelin, with Down’s Syndrome.

Thelin was making goofy sounds out of his nose and mouth while plugging his nose, talking to Cruz, right after he had talked with Dean Strand on the bench at the end of the pool.

“You’re a dinosaur,” said Cruz. Guessing what it was Thelin was miming out.

“Yeah,” said Thelin.

Then Cruz said, “Hey, it was you who put those words on my door.

Said what?

“I don’t know if it’s suitable for print,” said Cruz.

Other Rams swimmers, JV, varsity, it doesn’t matter, Cruz gives them his undivided attention, as he can, with, like Jude said, around 60-70 swim bodies and divers on the team.

Jude knows Cruz well.

“I have History of America with him second period,” said Jude.

So, Cruz is like Ben Franklin? A great communicator?

“Yeah, you could say that,” said Jude. “His motivational talks do wonders for the team. He really knows how to get us psyched up before a meet.”

Jude agrees with Cruz as far as where the Rams will place at state this year compared to last year’s fifth.

“I think we will place higher than last year,” said Jude.

So it ‘s a good Rams team and Kennedy has swimmers like Jovanovich who individually won the 50 free, as previously stated, and the 100 fly in 55.71. Then Joshua Kutz was first for the Lancers in the 100 free in 52.19. James Parr, for the Lancers, was first in the 100 breast in 1:08.92.

But those firsts discussed were almost all followed by Rams getting second places and also a third and fourth, or fifth to boot, to outpoint the Lancers though not winning the races.

Marc Stock has passed the coaching reigns for boys on to Sean Prothero, whose dad, Mark, coached the Kent summer swim league team to dynasty status, speaking of that word again. They’ve won more “All-City” championships than any other team in that league, including ones from around here like Arbor Heights, Gregory Seahurst, and where a bulk of this Rams team 7-8 club swimmers now come from, Normandy Park and Olympic View.

So, follow in dad’s great footsteps? Mark Prothero also coached the Kentwood girls swim team well, too, winning districts and being top-notch state competitors as a team, too.

“Yeah, pretty much the plan,” said Prothero. “I completed swimming and the next logical step for me was to hop on the pool deck and teach these kids what I learned.”

So Prothero knew this meet would be tough.

“We put together a pretty good lineup, but Mount Rainer is tough,” he said. “Definitely a tough way to start.”

Some good swimmers for Kennedy will be at state, according to Jovanovich.

“Paul was fourth in the 100 fly at state last year and he is probably one of the best sprint freestylers (50 and 100) in the state,” said Prothero.

The winning times for the Rams were 1:26.25 in the 200 medley with Jude, Matt Simpson, Dylan Webster and Strand. First in the 200 free was Ryan Gansneder in 1:55.65. First in the 200 individual medley was Dylan Webster in 2:04.41. First in the 500 free was Gansneder. First in the 200 free relay was Jude, Ester, Strand and Greg Geisbes. First in the 100 back was Jude in 58.21. And first for the Rams in the 400 free relay, was Webster, Geisbers, Ester and Strand in 3:34.55.

It’s a good team for the Rams for dual meets and probably state. Kennedy also has some top swimmers to make some noise in the post-season.

But that Rams depth, you have to keep coming back to that.

They have a lot of captains, too -- Ester, Lewie Thomson, Devon Powell, Eric Williamson and Miles Schneeman.

“Yeah, we got a big team,” said Schneeman.

Big and good, and having fun. What could be better than that?