Varsity:
The swim and dive team is propelling forward into a brand new season, and they are prepared to go far. They have a lot going for them and have high goals set for themselves.
Although the program has many athletes who all have their own specialized skill sets, that does not make the team any less unified. The team is ready to chase victory together in the 23-24 school year.
“My favorite part about being on the swim team is being able to not only compete against yourself and with yourself, but also being able to have that team aspect too,” said Reagan Mordka, junior.
Although swimmers are scored separately from one another, swim and dive is different from other sports because the boys and girls seasons coincide.
“I think having both [genders] is definitely cool to experience. The boys are faster than us, so we use them to push us,” Mordka said.
This year on the team, two new coaches have been brought aboard. Along with the swimmers and divers, they are ready to push themselves to their full potential.
“Everyone talks to everyone, and the new coaches are different and we love them and they’re super sweet,” said Piper Pendleton, junior.
Being connected and bonded is a super important component in a team’s success. Swim and dive is both an individual and a team sport, that is a part of why it is so unique.
“The team is really good at cheering each other on…I think our team will grow closer and grow athletically and unify more as a team,” Pendleton said.
Everyone is excited for the season, including the new coaches. Their goal is to push their athletes both independently and overall as a team this season.
“The [swim and dive] team is all together, but my specialty is more swim rather than dive. We have a separate dive coach who really coaches that, but my background is more with swim, so I work more with those individuals,” said Veronica Elton, assistant coach.
Compared to other schools, OHS has a fairly large swim team, enabling them to participate in a lot of events.
“We try to make sure that the events that we’re doing can include everyone regardless of if they’re a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior. We try to make sure that the activities can be easily done,” Elton said.
Since the team includes so many swimmers and divers that range in grade level, each person has had different experiences with their sport. This is part of what makes the team so cohesive.
“O’Connor’s swim team is so big, and there’s lots of different people with different backgrounds to experience it with,” Mordka said.
As with any sport, practice is a crucial element in getting better. The swim and dive team works hard to improve their skills and really hone in on the specifics.
“Practicing and being in the pool everyday, even if it’s not a super hard practice, is still benefiting you,” Mordka said.
Each person on the team is working towards a goal this season. Whether that is a personal goal or a goal for the team as a whole, the swimmers are confident they are going to go far this year.
“I know for sure we’ll have people that will make it to state this year which will be super awesome,” Mordka said.
It is important to focus both on the technical aspects of swimming and diving, as well as keeping a good mentality. However, even a small mistake in the sport could cost an athlete a lot.
“I want to help them cut time and improve their strokes so that they are swimming their best,” Elton said.
In order for any sports team to go far, there has to be some kind of bond between the members of the team. The OHS swim and dive team has been extremely effective in this category.
“My favorite part about being on the team is how close you get with the people around you,” Pendleton said.
JV:
This year at OHS, the JV members are ready to go far in both their athleticism and bonds with each other.
“It’s different lanes, so whoever’s in that lane with you is very supportive… you have a group you stick with the whole time,” said Liv Tenberg, sophomore.
A lot of swimmers and divers have been doing their sport for a long time. Those years of experience will help them tremendously this season.
“Now that I’m older and have more experience I’m definitely gonna get stronger this year,” said Jacob Dahdal, sophomore.
At the end of the day, sports teams are just a group of people who come together and want to compete. Although swimming is scored individually, the bond between athletes remains the same.
“It’s less popular, but the people are the same, and you still make friends with people,” Tenberg said.
The team has many goals set this year, and many meets still ahead of them. Swimmers and divers agree that it is the journey along the way that makes the season so worth it and enjoyable.
“I think that winning has importance. Is it the most important thing? No,” Elton said.
The coaches for swim and dive, coach both Varsity and JV. The goals for each group are mainly the same – to improve individually and as a team.
“I want to establish a bond between all of them. One thing that’s unique about the sport is you do a lot of individual events but getting that team unity and support is also really important,” Elton said.
