Jan. 11, 2025
By Alexandra Lourenço
Editor-in-Chief
With a 3-2 record for the girls and 1-4 record for the boys as of Jan. 9, the swim team is working to improve its skills to produce wins.
The team, which is co-oped with North Arlington High School, began its season with a loss at home against Rutherford High School on Dec. 5.
Junior Evangelise Amaya, who joined varsity as a freshman, said she attributes the defeat to Rutherford’s strong team, which includes club swimmers, and the inexperience of LHS’ team, which has 10 new members.
“A lot of [my teammates] are new to swimming… and they don’t know how not to get disqualified,” Amaya said. “We taught them how to dive [and] how to turn, but we only had [about] a week to do so.”
Despite the team’s loss, Amaya said she was impressed by the new swimmers’ physical ability.
“After seeing the first meet, I know that they have the endurance and the stamina to do [well],” Amaya said.
She said the swimmers excelled in team spirit.
“I saw everybody cheering. Everybody was watching [and being] respectful when the announcers announced the next race,” Amaya said. “They know when to be quiet, they know when to cheer, they know when their teammates are feeling a little insecure and upset about the race and they know how to cheer them up.”
Amaya said the team benefits from having a strong bond.
“Everybody is very welcoming,” Amaya said. “It’s a very friendly atmosphere. Nobody feels left out.”
Sophomore Ana Goncalves, who joined varsity last year, also said she appreciates the positive environment her teammates have created.
“When you touch the wall before anyone else, you can look behind you and see them all trying to get where you are.”
Everybody is really trying to help each other,” Goncalves said. “We all know something that the other doesn’t usually, so we just contribute our knowledge.”
Goncalves said she and her teammates assist each other during meets by huddling and sharing their observations.
“We mostly just help each other with strategies on our events because chances are somebody has done it for longer or they know tips that you may not know,” Goncalves said.
She said swimming is a unique sport because the athletes compete individually.
“Everybody is battling something different in their minds even though they are all in the same small location,” Goncalves said.
She said the most difficult part of the sport is swimming through pain.
“When you’re doing your best, it’s going to hurt,” Goncalves said. “Pushing through that mental block that you can’t [keep going] is the most challenging part.”
Senior Anthony White, who joined varsity as a freshman, said dealing with exhaustion is the toughest aspect of swimming.
“The whole sport in general is a big workout on your body,” White said. “Getting in the water and swimming as hard as you can even for a 50[-yard freestyle] is actually really tiring.”
White said the most satisfying part of the sport is winning.
“When you touch the wall before anyone else, you can look behind you and see them all trying to get where you are,” White said.
He said he appreciates the team’s resilience.
“We keep showing up and trying as hard as possible no matter what,” said White.
