The girls’ swim and dive team has come home state champs the past two years and now has hopes to repeat that victory for round three. The team has several tricks up their sleeves that they plan to utilize to get that three-peat.
The first is they try to spend time together outside the pool.
“Since we have a lot of socials throughout the year it doesn’t feel like [the team bond] is limited to a group of people, it’s definitely more of the whole team as a big family,” captain Belle Wong said.
The team members also strive to support and push their fellow teammates from the start so that they can succeed.
“When people are cheering for you its more support and when you feel that support you push even harder to do better,” junior Rachel King said.
Along with a strong support system within the team, the athletes also work hard to push themselves to beat their personal times and make it to the next level.
Sophomore Krista Kroiss said that in order to improve her times from district qualifying to state qualifying she plans to utilize practice time and concentrate on her times and overall swimming.
Coach Kris Daughters feels the team has the potential for another state title. She credits this to the role model upperclassmen on the team helping the younger swimmers improve and become better leaders.
“When you have really positive, kind, motivated, hardworking leaders that are really cooperative that just breeds more of those people,” coach Kris Daughters said. “I think that has been key to our success.”
The team has several athletes who Daughters thinks have a good chance at top state honors.
They include junior Abby Russell in the 100 breaststroke, sophomore Reegan Weber in the 200 freestyle, and Wong for diving. Overall the team is ranked third in the KingCo 2A/3A league and is expected to win the NW District 1 championship.