Derrick Park ‘25
Jan 26, 2024
This past weekend, Blue Storm’s boys and girls swimming teams traveled to Malvern Prep to compete in a dual meet. Girls swimming defeated Notre Dame 112-73 and boys swimming defeated Malvern Prep 100-86.
To prepare for the meet, the teams didn’t do anything special or unusual. They were confident with their usual practice routines and continued to implement them. Rhiannon Myhre ’25 said, “Training styles have remained consistent, focusing on hard, varied practices tailored to each swimmer’s specialty. We are all individually putting in an insane amount of effort so that we can get the best results both individually and collectively as a team. So, we don’t really do anything [different] to specifically focus on dual meets except for working on my relay starts and turns.”
Compared to last year, the teams are younger with fewer upperclassmen and PGs. Myhre said, “There is definitely a different vibe than last year but I feel like that is to be expected. Last year we had a lot more seniors and post-graduates than this year. So that alone sort of shifts our dynamic a bit. However, our seniors and post-graduates are doing an amazing job with leading our team and empowering us to be the best that we can.”
Head coach Glenn Neufeld elaborated, “Last year, we had a large senior class. But this year, we have a smaller senior class with more new players. There is definitely a shift in the team’s dynamic.”
This meant that the teams welcomed many talented young swimmers who feature prominently in the teams’ future. Yule Kwon ’26 said, “We have a lot of potential among freshmen this year. Not only do they help the team feel lively again like it did last year, but sometimes they awe us in how fast they can go.”
However, swimmers’ dedication to reaching a higher level through rigorous practices has a downside. Many swimmers are physically and mentally exhausted due to the high demands. Sisi Guo ’25 said, “A lot of swimmers are mentally tired because of hard training every day. Some swimmers go to morning sessions to train, which can be overwhelming. This time of the season is especially tiring for us because of the cold weather.”
Despite physical and mental fatigue, the swimmers are committed to achieving their season’s ultimate goal—winning the Eastern Interscholastic Swimmin and Divign Championships. This ambition had been a driving force from the first day of practice and will continue to be until the last day of the season.
Xiomara Del Rosario ’26 said, “As swimmers, we strive to prepare well for our biggest swim meet, Easterns, which includes things like good hydration, diet, and sleep which can be hard for a lot of us. We know that if we keep motivating each other in and outside of the water, we will become a well-fortified team.”
Neufeld added, “The team’s goal is to rank high in the Easterns—hopefully coming out in the top three. This goal has always resonated with the swimmers since the beginning of the season.”
As the teams taper their training for upcoming meets, the sense of unity and purpose is stronger than ever. The teams, with its blend of strong leadership and youthful energy, are looking forward to making this season a successful one—as it always is.