Girls Swim and Dive team prepares for a successful season
The 2015 girls swimming team dives into the pool during a meet. With the loss of a strong senior class, the team has to work hard to be successful.
The Free State Girls Swim and Dive team has two State Championships under their belt in the last six years. Naturally, that means the last six years have been months of hard work for team members across the board. This year, however, seniors Cierra Campbell and Anna McCurdy are ready to have fun.
Both Division One bound, Campbell and McCurdy are team captains, along with seniors Sydney Sirimongkhon-Dyck and Trenna Soderling for the 2016 season.
“The past few years have been solely about winning, so we are trying to incorporate fun this year,” Campbell explained.
The 2015 State Championship team lost many seniors, but has recovered nicely with around 59 girls ready to swim in the spring. This high participation number excited two time State Champion coach, Annette McDonald.
“I’m most looking forward to the bigness of this group, the talent, and to put the lineup together of their talents to where we are the best we can be,” she said. “The line up is what I look forward to most, it’s kind of a challenge, and a puzzle. I make it fit so that everyone is really successful, everyone is swimming fast, everyone is diving well, so that we really shine at every meet.”
Contributions to the team’s success come from all grade levels. This aspect is something sophomore Heather Buckingham particularly enjoys.
“We aren’t separated by age or ability, everyone is one big team,” she said. “Swimming is about depth, and we have girls that are younger that are really good, and girls that are older that are really good.”
The depth of the team seems to be on the mind of Coach McDonald, Buckingham and captain McCurdy.
“Now that we’ve lost the seniors we definitely don’t have as much depth on the team this year, but I think we will still put up a good fight,” McCurdy said.
Ending the prior season with a State Championship clearly leaves behind high expectations for the following squad.Coach McDonald is confident, however, the 2016 Girls Swim and Dive team will hold their own in the Sunflower League this year.
“Every year I lose just wonderful seniors. What was nice is they have set the tone for these leaders to step up in their positions,” McDonald said.
