The swimming team has been diving into action and performing well at meets, according to the team’s members.
Senior Valentina Angulo states that her “normal events are the 500, 200 and relays.” She has “been swimming for two indoor seasons and one outdoor season in the summer [summer swim].” Fellow senior Michael O’Leary states that he “kind of swims everything, but [he is] best at breast, IM (Individual Medley), and mid-distance free.” The senior adds that he has been swimming for about ten years.
Sophomore Kendall Chandler says that “every meet is a little bit different, but this year so far, the 200 and 500 free have been my favorite events, so I try to swim them at most meets.” Chandler continues to state that she “started doing summer swim for the North Harford Neptunes when I was about seven, and I have done it every year since.”
Angulo says that this season, the team “created an award called the Golden Goggles award, and in order to get it, we have to do all events at least once (500, 200, 100, 50 freestyle, 100 breast, 100 fly, 100 back, 200 IM – which is all the strokes combine into one race: fly, back, breast, free) and it has made me explore new events that I have never done if the award did not exist.”
O’Leary says that “the season [and] all the meets have been a lot of fun, [and he] is looking forward to States the most.”
“On a personal level, my season has been going pretty well so far, but there is definitely still a lot more I hope to achieve. I have been swimming the same events in most of the meets, and there are a couple others I want to try. I also really hope to drop time in my events in order to meet the specific goals I made for myself at the beginning of the season,” states Chandler.
She continues that “as for the team, we have been really successful so far this season. We have worked hard and won meets and it has been a strong start.”
Angulo reports that, “the season is going great so far. I love exploring all the new events, and I have started where I left off last year, so I am glad I did not lose any progress; I have even gotten a little bit faster.”
O’Leary says that the “team morale has been high, and the team just needs to continue doing what we are doing.”
“My favorite meet was hands down the first meet of the season. It was a really successful meet for me, but the only reason for my success was my teammates. I was incredibly nervous, but the entire team was so supportive and kind to me. It was the first meet I had ever swam the 500, and behind the blocks, I was a mess. There were tears, but my teammates helped me to take deep breaths and mentally prepare for the race, and after, they were there to celebrate with high fives and hugs. The support was overwhelming and made the meet so special,” says Chandler.
Angulo comments that “the first meet was my favorite, because I did 200 IM and 100 fly, and those events are super hard, so I am proud and happy I got those events done and out of the way.” She continues to say that she is “looking forward to states because we get to swim at Maryland State University, but first I have to qualify, and I hope I do so. That is what I am working towards.
O’Leary states that he is looking forward to “being a senior team captain and qualifying for TYR 18 & Under Spring Cup.” He says that he can improve on his “form and breast, [his] speed going out, [and his] ability to sprint.”
Chandler states that she is “really looking forward to Counties because it’s a really cool environment and we get to swim with a lot of teams and have a lot of fast races. Last year, we also made posters for each other and it was fun to celebrate each other!”
Angulo says that she is “proud of myself for being more open this year to new events that last-year-me would have never done, because I would have rather not have been embarrassed myself as a newbie swimmer.” She also says that she can “personally improve on moderating my activities outside of my sport, because sometimes I come to practice sore and I can not put my best foot forward.”
“I am proud of the fact that I have started the swimming distance events this year. Last year, I was always too intimidated to try the 500, because 20 laps is a lot, but I am really proud that I tried it because I think it might be my favorite event now,” says Chandler.
Chandler continues to state that “the 200 is also one of my favorite events now, but it is another event that I was completely unwilling to try last year. It reminded me of the 800 in track because you have to sprint for so long, so it was at the bottom of my list of events I hoped to try – even this year, but my coaches thought I could handle it, so they put me in. Even though I was not very excited at first, I ended up loving it.”
“I would personally like to improve the mental aspect of my swimming. I get in my head a lot and as the season continues, I hope to continue to have a positive attitude and to try my best to go into meets with confidence,” says Chandler.
