It was during practice last week when an East Lyme High School swimmer looked at head coach Jack Stabach and shot him a quizzical look.

"She said, 'what are you smiling for?'" Stabach said. "I said, 'you guys have got heart. You guys are pushing it.'

"It's a good team. It's a real team. It's got a different kind of persona."

The Vikings have won 14 straight Eastern Connecticut Conference championships. They'll extend that streak to 15 this season, barring the unforeseen, as they return 13 swimmers who qualified for last year's CIAC Class M championships.

"I think this year's team has as much talent as last year's, but I think the one different thing about them is that they have the will to win," Stabach said. "They seem to be more serious about working out and training. They seem to be confident in the goals that they've set. They're not taking it lightly."

East Lyme has succeeded for the same reason that all programs do - it's built from the ground up. Stabach founded the Nutmeg Swim Club in 1992 and it's acted as the Vikings' feeder program. It currently has around 122 kids, and although not every one of them is from East Lyme, it gives future Vikings a strong base.

Stabach also credited assistants Holly Buckley and Melissa Parker. Parker was a captain during the 2004 season. Buckley is the diving coach, an event East Lyme has used to its advantage.

"We had four girls that came in the top six (at Class M last fall)," Stabach said. "That's 104 points right off the bat.

"I think a big part of (our success) is our history. We've built a program at our school and swimming is one of the sports that's had very, very good success. It's out there, people are talking about it and its success, how much fun it is. It's a lot of hard work, but it's an honor to be on the team."

There's one thing that's eluded East Lyme during its 14-year run. A state title. The Vikings finished fourth last season.

"I'm not an optimist, I'm a realist," Stabach chuckled. "There are some tough programs out there with Branford, Wethersfield and Brookfield.

"I would love to see us win a championship and I think we have the talent to do it. It's just a matter of everyone believing in themselves and working hard. There are only 40-something practices left before ECCs. That's how many opportunities they have to get better. They know that's all they have. If they squander 10 of them, we won't get there."

Seniors Ugne Kirvelevicius and Tori Poole and sophomore Gretchen Stelter all won conference titles for East Lyme last season. Kirvelevicius won the 100 breaststroke and teamed with Poole and Stelter to win the 200 medley relay.

The ECC as a whole is deep in individual talent, starting with Waterford senior Asia Langley. She's a two-time ECC Swimmer of the Meet winner and the defending champion in both the 50 and 100 freestyle.

Teammate Meika Gathy won the 100 backstroke.

The Fitch/St. Bernard co-op won the most events at last year's conference championships (five) and returns three winners: seniors Meredith Hird, Mikaela Dimaapi and Grace Moriarty. Hird won the 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley and teamed with Dimaapi and Moriarty to win the 200 and 400 freestyle relays.

NFA senior Emma Buckridge is the defending 500 freestyle champion.

n.griffen@theday.com

Twitter: @MetalNED