The Westside girls swim team ended the season on a great note being the runner up state champions. The Warriors and the Marian Crusaders were neck and neck all of state, with Marian beating Westside by only 15 points. Westside placed 2nd and set a school record in the 200 medley relay. They placed second in the 400 freestyle relay along with 3rd in the 200 freestyle relay. Even though the Warriors didn’t end up on top, they are still very proud of how their season went and all of the accomplishments they made along the way.
“It felt so refreshing to finally be able to compete at state because we have worked hard all season long for this moment,” senior Elena Pospishil said. “Our girls really crushed it with improved times and I’m so proud of the team. We came in with the best team culture and mindset in that meet out of anyone else.”
Pospishil did very well at state swim placing 2nd in the 100 breaststroke.
Being able to compete at state is a privilege along with an experience an athlete will never forget.
“Competing at state is always so fun,” Piper Hagen said. “I just wanted to enjoy my last state with all my teammates. The pool deck always has the most energy and everyone is so ready to race.”
Hagen placed 3rd in the 200 freestyle and 2nd in the 500 freestyle.
Along with state being a great experience it can also be very intense and sometimes overwhelming. Berkley Gemar placed 3rd in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke.
“State is an amazing environment to swim in,” Gemar said. “Every year it’s a very nerve wracking but exciting meet. I love competing in it each year because the crowd is gigantic and it is super hype overall.”.
Winning state isn’t the only way to have a successful season. The girls swim team is a prime example of this, with them having an extraordinary season but coming up short to Marian.
“The girls swim team swam amazing,” Coach Rider said. “Every single swimmer had either a lifetime or season best race time”.
It is important to perform your best every race, but sometimes can be a disadvantage when this causes your expectations to rise.
“The toughest part of state was finals because we swam absolutely lights out for prelims so the pressure was on to compete similarly in finals,” Pospishil said. “That being said, we pushed past what we all thought our team was even capable of doing. Swimming can be a tough task but it was so rewarding to cheer on such great teammates during our competition, making the runner-up place for our team is incredibly exciting.”
Hagen thought the toughest part of state was the busy schedule.
“The toughest part of state for a lot of swimmers I would say is having to race many events back to back,” Hagen said. “You might not do as well as you would’ve liked in one, but you have to change your mindset after so you are ready for your next race and keep a positive energy going for the team.”
As a coach, Rider is very proud of how state went for the team.
“Our performance at State this year shows just how hard everyone worked during the season,” Rider said. “I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Some of the best parts of sports are not the accomplishments you make but the relationships and memories.
“Some of the moments that will stick with me the most from state are when our head coach gave us a pep talk on the bus and also a heartwarming speech when we huddled up in a circle after we finished the meet,” Pospishil said. “Our coaches gave it their all to the team and it showed up in our fast times. My family also surprised me by getting tickets for two of my best friends to show up in the stands which was shocking. The Westside cheering section is unlike any other and they bring the energy to support us with their sea of red.”
