The swim and dive team attended states on Feb. 23 at the University of Maryland, ending their season right.

Both private and public schools from all across Maryland come together to compete at the state finals. Both the boys’ and girls’ teams finished in the top 10, which is a big improvement from last year. With boys finishing in ninth and girls in 10th, the Patriots were proud of the outcome of the MPSSAA state finals.

In addition to team placements, the Patriots also received several podium finishes in both individual and relay events. Aaron Lazar finished fourth, Cece Zhao finished fifth and Rita Zhang finished 10th in the 50 meter freestyle. The Patriots also took the podium in several other categories including the 100 meter breaststroke, 200 yard medley relay, 200 yard freestyle relay, 200 yard freestyle relay and the 400 yard freestyle relay.

As the season has come to an end, the Patriots look back on the season and are proud of their accomplishments. “I am sad that the season is over. It has been really fun the past four years and being a captain my senior year was a really cool experience to end off my years on swim and dive. I will definitely miss the season and all the members of the team,” senior captain Aaron Lazar said.

As the season ended 4-1, many members of the swim and dive team could not be prouder. “I am really happy with how the season ended being 4-1 and we did extremely well in our competition season. I can’t imagine what this year would’ve been like without the team giving it their all, and I couldn’t be prouder,” junior Alyssa D’arpa said.

Seniors look back on the past seasons on the team, feeling proud of all years. “With this being my last year of swim and dive, I couldn’t have asked for a better time on the team,” senior Maddie Grainger said.

The team has already began thinking about next season and what they are excited to accomplish in the future. “I am really happy with how this season went and all the placements with both the boys’ and the girls’ teams. I am really looking forward to next season because I want to improve my skills and perform even better than I did this year, and maybe get the chance to make it to the podium,” freshman Emily Levine said.