The girls swim team will dive back into action in the next upcoming weeks. This team has a long legacy of success at Westside. The team currently holds the state championship title and is looking to make it a third consecutive season of being state champions.
The girls have been back at practice already but it looks a little different this year. Since the pool is under construction this year many new challenges are presented with practice schedules and locations. Junior breaststroke specialist Sadie Rogers comments on how the team is overcoming some of these new challenges.
“Since we don’t have a pool this year we have a lot less flexibility with our practice schedule. I know it has also been a struggle for some of our underclassmen who can’t drive but we have worked out carpooling and it has really encouraged team bonding,” Rogers said.
Not only is this a challenge for practicing in general but also in keeping up the team spirit. It can be hard to feel as connected with teammates when you don’t get to practice together at the same pool each day. Senior breastroker Elena Pospishil sees this as the biggest downside.
“Some of the challenges with not having a pool this year is preserving the traditions we have kept throughout the years and making the space that we are given by other pools our own as a team,” Pospishil said.
Overlooking these challenges there are still lots of things to look forward to in this upcoming season. Rogers is already looking ahead to state. She thinks the state championship meet is a great atmosphere for racing,
“Something I’m really looking forward to this year is the state meet. The energy at the meet is always amazing and it is super cool to watch all of our hard work finally pay off at the end of the season,” Rogers said.
Pospishil is also getting excited to compete at state as well. As a senior she is feeling bittersweet about experiencing the first of many lasts on this team.
“I’m looking forward to having a chance to compete alongside my teammates for one more year. This includes state as it is a really important meet for all of us. I also really enjoy cheering for everyone at Westside,” Pospishil said.
Getting to the state meet is not an easy task for these girls. To be able to compete in the meet you must have an automatic qualifying time or be one of the top 32 people in that event in the state. This is a great goal to strive for but Pospishil has even bigger goals set for herself this year.
“One of my personal goals is I would like to drop time and get the Westside school record in the 100 breaststroke. I was close last year so hopefully I have a good chance again,” Pospishil said. “For the team I would love to win state again but ultimately I’m proud of how hard the girls work each year.”
A state championship seems like the main goal for the team from these two breastrokers. Rogers has also set some great goals for herself this year.
“My personal goal for this year is to hopefully swim on a relay as well as get back on the podium at state. As a team we are aiming to win state again, it is definitely going to be a tighter race this year but I know how much our team wants it and how hard we are working to try and make that happen,” Rogers said.
In order to achieve these lofty goals the girls are going to need lots of preparation and practice. The team has a busy schedule with somedays having multiple practices in a day. They are working at a very high level because they know it will pay off by the end of the season.
“As far as preparing for the season goes, a lot of us swim for clubs so really we have been preparing since state last year. Now that the season has started though, we are starting to settle into our practice schedule and really working hard to create a good team culture,” Rogers said.
Although it is a lot of hard work Pospishil believes it makes the team stronger and have a better bond because they are together so much.
“We are preparing for the season with team bonding activities and workouts even without our own pool. Our schedule is pretty tight and we have several morning practices. This means everyone is really committed and close friends,” Pospishil said.
Another key swimmer for the warriors this year is senior Elaina Kratky. She along with her teammates and coaches have built such a great swim program the past couple years which will make the future bright for the Warriors this upcoming season.
“I’m really pumped to enter the 2024-2025 season,” Kratky said. “We have a lot of momentum building from the success of the past two years and I think that this year we will just continue to work hard and get better.”
With this being Kratky’s fourth and last year swimming as a Westside Warrior, there are many opportunities for her to be an even bigger leader than she has been in past years.
“I’m most excited to take on the role of a leader for the team,” Kratky said. “I know how important it is to have upperclassmen who are positive and push everyone to do their best so I’m excited to be that role model for the girls.”
Another great swimmer on the girls team is junior Sean Hughes. This will be Sean’s third year swimming for Westside winning a state championship every year she has swam as a Warrior. Along with Kratky, Hughes also believes this swim season will be successful.
“I feel like this year is going to be a great year and we have a great group,” Hughes said
The Warriors have had a steady competitor over the past couple years who keeps them on their toes. The Marian Crusaders shared the state title with the Warriors in 2023 and came in second place to Westside in 2024. A key competitor for Marian is Meredith Payton who placed first in the 100 fly, 200 free and was part of a couple winning relays at the 2024 state meet. One of Hughes greatest skills in the water is her confidence and want to win which comes in handy when you have a competitor like Marian.
“I am excited to beat our biggest competition, Marian, because they are fun to beat,” Hughes said.
Kratky also acknowledges how great of a team Marian is and the hard work it will take to beat them once again at the state meet.
“This year I think our biggest competition is Marian.” Kratky said. “They have a really strong team with a lot of returning state finishers so it will take a lot of dedication to keep our place as state champions.”
Already taking the role as a leader for the warriors, Kratky has many goals for the team this season to make sure they are as successful as possible.
“One of my goals for this season is to create an atmosphere for the team that is built in trust and family,” Kratky said. “Due to the new pool being built, we have to drive back and forth to other pools which limits the amount of time we get to spend together in the pool getting to know one another. I want to focus on using the time we have to create a really strong bond with this team so that we can remain successful.”
Hughes also has many goals for the season, the biggest one, understandably, to win state.
“Some goals that I have for the team is for all of us to work together and get through the season and win state,” Hughes said.
The Warriors first swim meet is this Thursday, December 5, at Omaha Westview.
