As the lady Spartan swim team comes to the latter half of their season, they find themselves toe to toe with DPS rival swim teams.
Under guidance from Head Coach Cindy Allen, the ladies competed against the South Rebels, here at TJ on Thursday January 22. The Rebels were no match for the Spartans, especially in the relay aspect of the meet. The ladies came away with a victory and a score of 100-33. With a win over South, the girls improved their record to 3-1.
“I have seen such a great improvement in myself, and the entire team. Our two-a-days and 6 a.m. practices are really paying off,” said Junior Jamie Gray.
“I am so proud of all my teammates; we have been working very hard and it is nice to have the hard work pay off with a victory,” stated Senior Captain Hall Hupperts.
Next up, The Spartan girls faced the dominant George Washington Patriots, who have performed supremely all season long. “We know that George Washington is a powerhouse in the city in many sports, not just swimming, but we have to come in here with a positive attitude to have any chance of winning,” said Allen before the meet.
Unfortunately, the ladies could not match the power of the Patriots, falling short with a score of 124-58. The news was not all bad however, and Allen was proud of what the girls accomplished. “We came in here trying to meet our personal goals. I am so proud of the girls; we stayed focused and didn’t let the other team intimidate us,” Allen said. The loss to George Washington moved the team’s record to 3-2.
As of right now, Andrea Shacklock is the only girl that has earned a state qualifying time, but others girls are coming close. “Jamie Gray is swimming very fast in the 200 meter freestyle swim. I wouldn’t be surprised if she put up a state qualifying time,” said Allen.
The diving team has also shown great improvement this season under the teachings of Diving Coach Aimee Witulski. “We continue to learn new dives all the time. Katie Dehmlow did a front flip with a twist today,” Witulski said. “Colette Hernandez has also been diving consistently well throughout the year,” she added.
The motto for this year’s girls seems to be teamwork. “Without teamwork to back you up, there is no chance of winning,” said Junior Alex Gustafson. The ladies also hold a team dinner, to promote togetherness, every Wednesday in room 108. “It’s very fancy,” joked Allen. “We call it Hacienda 108.”
The girls will have one more regular season meet this year before they compete in the City Swim meet on February 6th and 7th.
“We only have about two weeks left this season, and it is important for us to stay focused. It is a very long season and the girls have worked so hard the entire time. We need to finish the season strong,” stated Allen.
The girls will face the West Cowboys in their final meet of the year at their home pool, and the girls would love their fans to come down and pack the TJ pool on Tuesday, February 3rd at 4:15 to support their Spartan swim team.
