BY REBECA PEREIRA & KAYLA SOUSA
As the season for swim dives into action, the excitement is palpable among all swimmers and newcomers. Tryouts have been held and the season is starting with practices every day after school.
The stakes are high this season with swimmers eager to maintain their Greater Boston League title as it is their last GBL and are moving to the Northeastern Conference. Over the years, the swim team has grown in size since their 6-0 track record from last year. On top of succeeding as a whole, individuals have broken personal records as well.
Goals for this year have been made and members are seeking to accomplish them over the swim season. Captain Felicia Lombardi says that she hopes “to teach new members that they should never give up and always challenge themselves because swimming is not an easy sport, but it is not an impossible sport either. If they believe they can do it, then they will do it”. Her personal goals include honoring her captaincy by striving to become “more of a leader this year”.
Joanne Ho, who is a sophomore at MHS in her second year swimming, last year’s goal was to “grow close enough to the team to call them [her] second family” and this year has made a goal to become more active in the swim team by “going to states and more events” says Ho.
Overall, returning members like sophomore Agatha Silva, hopes newcomer “bring good swim times,” Sophomore Joanne Ho hopes for “more diversity among the team” and Sebastian Romani, also a sophomore, hopes that new members bring “a new flavor” to the team. Contributing to “the close knit family” is also important to Ho who has grown very close to the swim team.
Last year, Ho credits the team’s incredible success to “the support given to each other since there was a lot of of newcomers competing and no matter who you were, the whole swim team would be cheering for you,” as well as the amount of “great ambitious swimmers” helping them remain undefeated and positive throughout the season.
However this year, as many former alumni members like Ryan Luu, Alexandra Lombardi, Matthew Perry, Samantha Forestier and previous captains Stephen LaFauci, Austin Giang, and Lucia Quesada Nylen with great swimming experience, have graduated new difficulties have arisen especially as the team progresses to the NEC. Captain Lombardi hopes to remain “undefeated, and hopefully win the GBL for the last time.”
The team remains positive due to the new swimmers who have joined the team. Freshmen Haoxi Wang and Angelina Shorr have swimming experience outside of school and hold deep passion for the sport. Shorr details her personal goals hoping to acquire confidence, time management skills, and become a better competitive swimmer by gaining endurance and speed. They both look forward to doing swim because of the importance of being a part of something they can enjoy.
Overall, both new and returning swimmers are excited to embrace the new season, try their hardest, and make the most out of this team experience.
