It will ultimately take them just eight lengths of the pool to get there, but Auburn Mountainview’s 200-yard medley relay team has a 13-mile journey planned this season.

That is the distance between their school and the King County Aquatics Center, home of the Class 3A state swim and dive championships.

In February, the team placed eighth in the state finals, in 1 minute, 42.98 seconds. And while half of the relay’s members have graduated, that isn’t fazing the Lions.

“I think it’s going to go for the (school) record and place at state, too,” said coach Justin Pritchard. “I think they’re going to drop the time and hopefully swim for a league championship, too.”

Pritchard acknowledged that Auburn Mountainview lost some “unbelievable swimmers” in Luke Lavine and Tyler Arnold, but luckily, they have “been able to restock.” The team is comprised of 20 swimmers and a diver.

Senior Owen Lempert, who swam on last year’s state relay, felt similarly.

“We had a really, really, really strong group of guys for the relay,” he said. “A lot of these guys are very, very new to the sport. Anyone that wants to step up and compete is open to do that, and I’m excited to see how well they can swim for the future.”

In turn, Lempert said, he does not expect the relay, which pairs himself and sophomore Chase Murphy as returners with senior Ian Portman and junior Jared Toschi, to qualify for state immediately.

“We’ve got some work to do,” said Lempert, who also plans to swim the 50 freestyle and 100 breaststroke. “I definitely don’t expect us to be going super-duper fast … we’re saving some of that energy for toward the end of the season.

“There’s definitely a lot of things to work on technically: our finishes, our turns and our intensity when we swim.”

Pritchard said he sees Lempert stepping into Lavine’s shoes this year.

“I don’t want to call him a clone because there’s maybe a foot height difference,” he said, “but Owen will be somebody fun to watch with his medley relay.”

Pritchard also expects big things from Toschi, a transfer from Seattle Christian who specializes in the backstroke.

“Talk about losing kids and then having somebody come in that can already swim,” he said. “He’s a junior and already is starting to become one of the leaders on the team.”

Toschi, who has already qualified for districts in the 100 backstroke, said he already sees the potential in the relay team.

“We have a lot of depth … I just feel like our group is really well put together.”

Enough for a return trip to state?

“I don’t see any reason why we can’t,” he said.