After their first scheduled meet was canceled due to rain, the Los Altos High School boys and girls varsity and JV swim teams competed against the Lynbrook High School Vikings on Thursday, March 7. Their first official meet ended as a 367–295 win.
Two relay teams and a few individual swimmers swam CCS-qualifying times, punching their ticket to the CCS Championships on May 3-4.
Among the CCS qualifying teams was the girls 200-yard freestyle relay, including sophomores Sophia Boschken and Ariana Yurchenko and freshmen Maya Bromberg and Maren Byrne.
“The energy is a lot higher on relays,” Maya said. “Everyone is cheering and everyone hypes each other up a lot. We were all ready to go.”
Directly after, the boys 200-yard freestyle relay also qualified. The team of senior Sam Lyon, juniors Isaac Shang and Tommy Cairns and sophomore Elliot Bigall hope to end their season at states.
“We were really close to placing at states last year,” Isaac said. “If we could get on the podium that would be great.”
Despite the cold weather, with the temperature dropping to 49 degrees, the meet ran smoothly in its allotted time. However, the meet being at home made it difficult for some swimmers.
“For me, it’s harder to compete in a pool I practice in every day,” Ariana said.
Away meets typically bring a new atmosphere and set a different mood. Throughout the meet, coaches offered support as they watched races and collected splits.
“Everybody is just there to have fun and see what they can do,” Maya said.
This year, swimmers have also been working more on breath control and other specific techniques during practices to build on existing skills.
“We’re being way more mindful of details,” Isaac said.
The Eagles’ decisive win over the Vikings distinguished Los Altos as one of the stronger teams in the De Anza Division, as it was their second win to start off the season. Their success was built from each swimmer’s dedication and the excitement of the coaches.
After another solid 465–129 win over Saratoga High School on Friday, March 15, and a loss to Palo Alto High School on Thursday, March 21, the team now holds an overall record of 2–1.
“We want to do our best and continue supporting each other as we work to get our best times,” JV swimmer sophomore Sarah Ardelean said. “The goal is to leave it all out there in the water and continue to have fun with it.”
The Eagles will host their senior night and last home meet against Homestead High School on Friday, March 29 at 4 p.m.