Junior Maya Sheth musters her focus before getting on the block to swim her race. Right before swimming a race, multiple things are going through her mind. How am I going to do? Will I drop time? Will all of my hard work pay off? After months of relentless work, it all comes down to one race, one dive, one finish.

Sophomore Jannan Sivaruban, climbs on the starting block. As he stands on block, his focus is unbreakable. Everything in the background is drowned out as he begins to tunnel in on his race.

When standing on the block you can feel the rough surface of it under your feet. It is silent as you stare at the water, preparing to feel the cool water surround you. Focusing on only one thing, the beep, which signals you to go.

While diving off the blocks everything from your mind clears, the adrenaline is gone, you go blank. It is only for a split second but that little time can define your race. The start is one of the most important aspects of the race.

Senior Allan Zou breaks out after his start. The breakout is one of the most under looked part of the race. Teams often spend valuable practice time perfecting it for races.

While senior Ben Thiss is racing in his primary event, the 100 yard freestyle, he is not thinking and allows his instincts take over. All the training and stroke work done in practice comes into play during the race. Every stroke taken during practice affects how he will swim the race.

Walls can either make or break a race. While doing a flip turn it is vital to stay tight and have a powerful push of off the wall. Flip turns are used for freestyle and backstroke events while the less efficient open turns are used for butterfly and breast stroke events.

The end of the race requires the most mental strength. Just yards away from the wall, part of your mind tries to convince you to give in to the exhaustion. However, it is vital to finish strong and not stop swimming until you reach the wall.

After finishing her race, junior Mackenzie McMullen talks to head Coach Dr. Dan Carl about how she did. The coaches are able to provide valuable insight into what you need to improve on for the next time that you race. After your race is over, you hydrate and prepare for your next one.