Melanie Maurad & Giselle Tlatelpa
November 7, 2023
We all know the treacherous feeling of waking up bright and early for another day of school, but imagine having to be dressed up in a cap and swimsuit by 5:40 am in the morning. This type of task can seem demanding for many, yet it is certainly no match for our Lady Rams on the swim team. Indeed, it is the abundance of accomplishments they have achieved this swimming season that motivates the girls to push through and make the sacrifice.
When diving deeper into what the 2023 girls swimming season looked like, its safe to say that both our seniors and underclassmen were able to dominate the swimming pools they encountered. In fact, some significant victories to highlight include coming in first place against Mount Vernon twice, with scores indicating a far lead of both an 11 point and 17 point difference against the other competing teams.
Just recently, the team’s October championships were held at Peekskill Middle School. Captains Jaina Gonzalez and Morgan Saunders, as well as fellow teammates, Chenoa Marquez, Mariangel Osorio, Nicole Ortega, and Estefana Baustia proved themselves to be true champions by holding the six highest individual scores amongst those on the team. Each in their own category, made use of their training and senses to bring their team another proud moment.
Additionally, we were able to witness how the team as a whole accumulated an astonishing 204 points, which not only ended the season on the right foot, but amazingly allowed Port Chester High School’s swimming history to grasp yet another memorable showing. And to top all of this off, Coaches Cahill and Raskin are proud to note that 15 personal records were broken as its no surprise that the ladies’ continuous hard work and dedication allowed them to do so.
So how were these swimming stars able to develop such an incredible record for this year’s season? Well, according to senior captain Jaina, the answer is simply in the number of girls who are a part of the team.
In more detail, she claims that, “We utilize our numbers against other teams who have at most 10-12 members, which differs from our larger number of over twenty swimmers.”
With numerous girls to compete, the team has the upper hand to succeed throughout the various strokes they are admitted for. Each girl entered holds her own techniques that she continuously improves from the heavy practices and training each morning.
In the end, the sacrifice is made clear, especially when a win is pulled out and the girls are commemorated for their hard work and perseverance.