The Westside swim and dive teams are finally back on campus after a yearlong departure from their home pool. The program has returned to its newly renovated facility, now proudly named the Coach Doug Kreklow Pool. Westside will take on Central in the opening meet of the 2025-26 season — the first competition ever held inside the school’s brand-new, $34 million aquatic center.

For senior diver Mia Sanwick, the return home makes her final season feel even more meaningful.

“It’s a little bittersweet going into my last season. On one hand, I’m excited to keep going and learn new skills, but on the other hand I remember this time next year I won’t be with my team anymore,” Sanwick said.

Sanwick said the new aquatic center has already elevated the team’s training and energy.

“The new aquatic center is absolutely amazing. Before, our old pool did not have many of the same opportunities as others — a notable one being that we now have two boards, three including our three-meter. With the team being so much larger than usual, I can see Westside’s dive team making a very notable impact on competition this year,” Sanwick said.

After four seasons in the program, Sanwick said she’s learned how fast each year moves.

“The season goes by very fast, so every practice has to be intentional. In the offseason I tried to gain back any skills I may have lost over time and just keep myself healthy,” she said.

Sanwick said it’s her teammates who push her to keep improving.

“My fellow teammates always drive me to be better. Each of them has qualities I admire and aspire to have,” Sanwick said.

With swimmers and divers training separately last season, the return to a shared pool has been especially meaningful.

“One of the goals captains had this year was to merge the swimmers and divers again. With split pools and meets last year, we didn’t get to see each other much, so this year our goal is to really merge the teams as one,” Sanwick said.

She said the environment has already felt unified.

“The synergy between the teams has always been filled with so much love. The swimmers are always so encouraging during meets; after all, we are one team,” Sanwick said.

On the boys side, senior William Cartwright said he’s eager to enjoy every moment of his final season.

“This season I am most looking forward to having a fun season — just taking it in and having one more fast, fun ride,” Cartwright said.

Cartwright said the new facility has already transformed daily training.

“The new pool has been great. It’s been a lot easier than last season since we have lockers, aren’t bouncing around multiple pools, and have a practice facility that gives us the opportunities to succeed,” he said.

With improved conditions and a deep roster, Cartwright said the team’s expectations are high.

“Our big goal, as always, is winning state. This year we have tons of talent, especially young talent that can get us the title,” Cartwright said.

Senior SadieRogers said the girls team is approaching Thursday’s season opener with a clear mindset.

“I think our biggest goal going into Thursday is to just have a lot of fun and set some baseline times for the season. We want to be able to take these races at the beginning of the season and try to figure out how we can improve them for our final ones in February,” Roger said.

She said the athletes are excited to show off their new home for the first time to another program.

“Honestly, we are all just excited to invite another team to the new pool. As of now, we are the only team that has really had a chance to enjoy the new facility, so it will be fun to feel the energy of two full teams in there. A lot of us also get to show it to some of our club friends since a lot of us have teammates from other schools,” Rogers said.

With the new pool and a renewed sense of focus,Rogers said the team is already locked in on its long-term goals.

“Our biggest focus since the first day has been just putting our heads down and doing the work. We know what it takes to be a competitor at the conference and state meet and we want to use our time efficiently. We have about three months to prepare, and while we are going to bring our competitive culture to the duals and invites these next few months, our heads are really focused on those finals championship meets toward the end,”Rogers said.