BY KAYLA SOUSA & REBECA PEREIRA
The new year has begun and as resolutions are being set, Malden High School swimmers are meeting previous goals and setting new ones as well. The middle of the season has arrived and swimmers are preparing for important swim meets that will define this season. With few meets a year, MHS swimmers definitely feel the pressure of doing well but never fail to deliver a good performance, winning all meets so far.
Team member sophomore Agatha Silva acknowledges that although there is always room for improvement, their results have exceeded expectations stating that “[they] had thought Malden Catholic and Swampscott would be tough but [they] were able to prevail and win.” Silva is conscious of areas for team improvement including “training a little harder to shave off more seconds,” as well as putting in an individual effort to stand out.
This sense of personal improvement is widespread among the team. Senior captain Felicia Lombardi, like many swimmers, knows that when an individual succeeds, the whole team succeeds. She states that in order to continue the team’s undefeated record and win the Greater Boston League for the last time before advancing to the new league, each person must contribute to their fullest potential. She recognizes that “personally [she] wants to be more of a leader this year, especially since [she] was honored with the captaincy.”
But personal goals aren’t difficult to meet, as many team members have explained, because of the motivating environment the swim team has fostered through the years. Senior captain Vivian Nguyen explains that one of the team’s greatest strengths is the support they give one another. This same spirit is shown towards other teams as well which Nguyen explains saying “[she] thinks sportsmanship is crucial to having good and friendly competition.”
The team is now working on making technical improvements such as making it to practice on time and refining certain strokes but Nguyen explains that one of the biggest difficulties has been finding teams outside of the the GBL to challenge members. She says “we are always looking for teams to push us to go faster” but that this year, the lack of competition doesn’t pose a serious problem because the team will be advancing to the new league.
