Swimmers and Divers Report for Duty

Girls’ Swimming prepares for upcoming season.

Photo by Mia Nogueira

After a very successful previous year, winning third in city and having one swimmer go to state, the Spartan Swimmers are excitedly anticipating this upcoming season. “We have a great team, and we have a great chance of getting somewhere great,” said Head Coach Cindy Allen.

According to Allen, the team’s highest priority is to get new, fresh players to spice up the team. “We’re really trying to recruit freshmen,” said Allen. “But we’re also very happy with returning athletes. Anyone who’s interested in swimming or diving should check us out.”

One of the returning athletes this year is Senior Melissa Acker, who is seen as a leader among her team and coach. “Melissa has been a great role model,” said Allen. “She’s just a natural leader.”

Along with making it to state, Allen believes the team’s expectations are higher than simply improving athletes’ performance in the pool. “We really focus our program on building self-esteem and responsible members of the community,” said Allen. “We do this by being very strict about being on time, and making sure students are always dedicated to the team.”

This season, Allen expects a wide range of challenges for TJ. “Our main competitors are East and George Washington,” said Allen. “We always have tough a time with those schools. I think it’s mainly because they have higher enrollment, and more club swimmers. West and South are also very competitive, and we always have very exciting matches against them.”

With a team of seasoned swimmers and experienced leaders, Allen anticipates the upcoming season. The team’s first meet will be a relay in which all DPS schools will attend, and will be on December 8th at Manual High School.