If you want to know how good a swimmer Connor Greene is — how fast he can go, how many events he's mastered — don't ask the Merced senior.
He shies from the spotlight.
Greene doesn't want to be that cocky swimmer who everyone wants to beat. He wants to be the swimmer everyone likes.
No matter. Merced coach Kit Gratton will gush about Greene.
"He's just really talented," Gratton said. "He works super hard. He just has a lot of ability."
In many ways Greene was the backbone for the Merced team that dominated on its way to a third straight Central California Conference title.
According to Gratton, Greene swam just about every event at one point this season except for the 50- and 500-yard freestyle events.
Now Greene will lead a large contingent of Merced and area swimmers at the Sac-Joaquin Section Championships at Tokay High in Lodi.
The girls trials get under way today. The boys will hit the pool for trials on Friday.The finals are scheduled for Saturday.
Action starts at 10 o'clock each morning.
Of the 22 swimmers Merced is sending Alison Miller (500 and 200 freestyle) and Charis Hoppe (100 breaststroke and 50 freestyle) have the best shot of reaching Saturday's finals in their events on the girls side.
Hoppe holds the Merced school record in the breast stroke of 1 minute, 6.59 seconds that she set two years ago.
Greene (200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke), Ryan Randall (200 freestyle and 500 freestyle), Brett Fogelberg (50 freestlye and 100 freestyle) and the Merced relay teams have the best chance of reaching the finals.
Atwater's Bryce Firestine (100 butterfly), Golden Valley's Connor Hoppe (100 breaststroke), Buhach Colony's Noelle Farrar (100 freestyle) and Atwater's Mekayla Coughran (200 IM) will also try to advance to Saturday.
Greene wasn't exactly a swimming prodigy when he arrived at Merced High four years ago.
He didn't get involved in water polo or swimming until his freshman year.
His success has come from hard work.
It also helps that he has swimming gurus like Gratton and Steve Eccles coaching him.
"In both sports he's a juvenile," Gratton said. "That's why I think he can perform well at the college level. He's kind of been picking it up as he goes along."
Greene will only get faster in the water as his technique improves.
Greene is a coach's dream in that he can be plugged in just about any event.
That doesn't mean he doesn't have his favorites.
"I'm an (individual medley) guy," Greene said. "I like the (butterfly) because you use your arms more and they breast because you use your legs.
"I am a water polo player at heart, but I like swimming a lot, too. It's something fun. It keeps you in shape and I like that you're a part of a bigger team."
Greene will compete in the individual medley, breaststroke and team up with his teammates in a couple relays this weekend.
He's trimmed 9 seconds off his breaststroke time from last year. His 200 IM time has improved by 3 seconds.
Greene is excited to see what he can do against the top swimmers in the section.
"I'm pumped," he said. "I really can't wait. This is the last time I get to swim for Merced. I want to bust my butt because of everything I've worked for the last four years.
"I have teammates I'm swimming with for the last time. We've been together a long time. We want to all leave Merced as a winning team."
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