Swim Team is now in Progress

With the swim season in progress, the swim team looks forward to districts at the end of the year, as well as looking forward to a very successful season.

  The swim season began on Nov. 14 and ends on Feb. 10 and Feb. 11. The meets that the swim team attends will help prepare them for districts throughout the season.

  Varsity junior, Michelle Arroyo is preparing for this upcoming season by doing different workouts and exercises.

  “I usually run,” Arroyo said. “I have to build my stamina I use in the water to be able to sprint fast.”

  Arroyo has been swimming since she was six years old and has been on varsity for 2 years.

  “I’ve been swimming for 11 years now and it’s one of my favorite sports to participate in.” Arroyo said.

  Arroyo is able to stay conditioned in the swimming off season by participating in track and cross country.

  “I think it allows me to gain endurance for my long relays,” Arroyo said. “There are many great aspects to swim team,” Arroyo said.      

  Swimmers on the team do more than one stroke, they do four. The strokes are freestyle, butterfly, breaststroke and backstroke. The distances that they do are a 500 freestyle, which is an event where you swim 500 meters, and a 200 freestyle is a total of eight laps. There is also a 400 medley, 400 freestyle, 200 medley, and 200 freestyle. Medleys are when one swimmer swims 100 of one stroke and then the other of another stroke, and another and another.  

  “The swim team is great because you get to be apart of a team that is like a family and you get to rely on yourself to do good other than relying on a team,”  Senior and Varsity swimmer Hailey Andrehsen said.

  The swim team prepares for districts by practicing everyday. They have morning practices on Wednesdays before school to help them get ready for their meets on Thursdays.

  Relays help them prepare because they will be competing against each other and it will help them mentally prepare for meets and districts.

  Starts are when they are on blocks and are about to dive off. Relay starts are when someone touches the wall and the other person jumps in.

  The more the swim team does relay starts and normal starts, the better their starts will be. Also, a good start and dive is a good way to begin a race.

  “Swimming is the type of sport where you have to be prepared and to be prepared you have to go to practices on the daily. So practicing and having a routine prepares me for meets,” sophomore and varsity swimmer Chelsy Cortes said.

  Another method swim team uses to help them practice for meets and districts is by being tapered. Tapering is when practices become more easier so that their bodies are not tired. They are only tapered when they go to big meets such as districts. Districts are always at Mount Hood Aquatic Center in early February. Only the top qualifiers at districts go on to State.

  “Districts are a fun experience,” Cortes said. “I got to swim with some people that I knew from other schools. It’s really fun watching and cheering people on, I wish more people would come to meets because it’s interesting.”

  With the swim team they hope to work really hard and will dedicate their time to earning a spot on the podium.