Swim and dive practices hard two days after school every week. The team has almost 80 members and manages to have a close knit team despite the large number of students who participate.
On Feb. 1 the athletes competed in a tough divisional meet against Poolesville, Quince Orchard, Damascus, Sherwood and Blair. Sophomore David Yune won the 100 yard freestyle, freshman Aidan Wang won the boys’ diving, and the 200 girls’ freestyle relay was won by freshman Ashley Woo, freshman Sidney Thompson, junior Laura Chen and senior Joy Shi. The girls were able to keep their undefeated record and took first in their division while the boys were third in the division. This meet made the girls’ record 5-0 and the boys’ record 4-1. “It was very rewarding to watch the girls win the division and the boys perform well, too,” junior Emma Helgeson said.
The past weekend’s meet only allowed a few people to swim and dive, so the team came out to support the athlets and cheer them on. The team has a positive atmosphere that makes it enjoyable to be a part of. “The swim and dive team is special because of how spirited the team is and our spirit has definitely helped us beat some tough teams this season,” junior Abbey Demonte said.
Kevin Fisher has been a coach for 17 years. He said he loves coaching and being able to teach and contribute to the success of every person on the team. “I became a coach because I enjoy swimming and diving and like helping swimmers achieve their potential,” Fisher said.
Friday nights before meets the team has a ritual of going to Dave and Busters and hanging out. The team thinks it is important to remain close to one another because it makes the team special and creates an inviting atmosphere. The team brings noise makers to hype the team up and encourage them to do their best. “One of the most fun weeks of the season is when we play assassin the week of Metros (the big meet for Wootton). It is a fun way for the team to get excited for the meet and is another way for the team to bond,” senior Joel Shapiro said.
