By: Xander Rigali

Ending with a victory, the girls swim team secured the NVL championship title for the sixth year in a row. This accomplishment was hard-earned, marked by significant individual progress, a deepening team bond, and a dramatic come-from-behind win. Despite facing a smaller roster and formidable opponents, the team leveraged strong team chemistry and a fierce competitive spirit to exceed expectations, setting the stage for future success.

Head coach Ray Snyder revealed that this season’s success was dependent on key strategic maneuvers made before the first meet.

 “Going into the season, we understood the league had some gaps in events that we could attack if we trained our new swimmers in new events,” Snyder explained.

The team faced a disadvantage this year as the team had no divers for the first time in school history, so they had to be very strategic about how they placed everyone in the championship lineup. The team started every meet down significantly in points, making every swimming event necessary.

To combat this loss, Snyder pushed the newer athletes to reach their potential.

“Our young core of swimmers took on more difficult events than previously expected of them, which led to major points at the NVL Championship,” Snyder recalls. “This willingness of the underclassmen to pursue harder events became the necessary extra push the team required.” 

To multiple swimmers, the highlight of the season was the NVL championship meet. Captain Colby Sizer recalled the stress, noting the team was behind up until the 200 freestyle relay to Oxford, making the eventual win rewarding. 

“It was really exciting to see our team pull through in the last four events and get a win for the fourth time,” Sizer said, showing the team’s resilience.

Another personal highlight for Sizer came at NVLs, finally achieving a personal record (PR) she had been chasing for over a year, hitting 1:18.98 in the 100 Breaststroke after repeatedly aiming for under 1:20 and missing.

Outstanding performances secured the NVL win including a strong show from Abigail Miko, who broke the school record in the 100 Breaststroke. 

Freshman Wusiye Dabre also had an amazing season, noting a massive improvement in her 100 butterfly, where she dropped 24 seconds from the start of the season. 

The success achieved this year was built upon a developing team atmosphere. Sizer initially recognized the team had a rocky start, mentioning the inclusion of a large freshman class of six, compared to only three seniors, and how it was a struggle early on. However, this dynamic quickly shifted. 

“Towards the end, we definitely became more of a family,” Sizer shared. “We knew everybody had each other’s backs.”

Sophomore Caroline Foley mentioned how her bond with teammates strengthened, especially as half the team participated in club swimming together during the off-season. 

“I know that my friends are there, so I want to go,” said Foley. This mutual support and friendship motivated daily commitment, which directly led to improvements on race day.

The team faced clear challenges, primarily the loss of strong swimmers from the previous year and the subsequent need for younger athletes to immediately perform. “The possibility that we weren’t going to win NVLs,” encouraged the team to work harder, with many joining club swimming over the off-season to step up.

Sizer addressed the mental struggle of practice, where swimmers can easily give up on a set, knowing harder drills are ahead. Her advice to the team and herself was to switch mentality and focus solely on the immediate task. 

“You just have to try your best, what’s at hand, right now,” Sizer mentions. 

When asked about teammates who made the biggest positive impact, Molly Mays was repeatedly mentioned.

“She’ll swim anything. From the one fly or the 500 if she has to,” Sizer stated. “Mays has a really, really, really positive attitude and consistency.”

Miko highlighted the crucial leadership of the captains, especially Colby Sizer. 

She was described as “She is one of the most passionate people I’ve ever met about swimming,” said Miko. 

Beyond fast times and victories, the athletes consistently shared a valuable lesson instilled by their coach: losing is okay.

Sizer reflected on this deeply, drawing directly from Snyder’s teaching after regular season losses to Seymour in her junior year, and to Oxford in her senior year. 

“It didn’t matter; it was how you responded that mattered,” said Sizer.