Winter sports athletes have worked hard and are approaching halfway through most of their seasons. The swim team, in particular, just completed  difficult winter training over the holiday break, giving swimmers several tough practices.

As championship season is nearing, coaches are gearing up for the competition. The girls’ team features six seniors: Elizabeth Carl, Amy Deng, Isabelle Jimenez, Hannah May, Lily Retford, and Caroline Veraldo.

“I am looking forward to championships because the competitive spirit of everyone is very motivating,” said Anita Pan, 11.

The boys’ team includes seven seniors: Jiho Choi, Bradley Greenberger, David Greenberger, Ryan Higgins, Nicholas Klein, Matthew Schuetz, and Jannan Sivaruban.

Head coach Dr. Daniel Carl and assistant coach Stephen Langdon lead practice six days a week, with weightlifting three days a week. Along with regular training, optional morning practices are offered to those wanting to focus on certain strokes and techniques.

“We have been practicing very hard leading up to bigger meets and I hope the hard work will pay off,” said Grace Deng, 9.

Championship season begins with the GMC meet, followed by sectionals, districts, and finally, the state competition. Before such big meets, the coaches begin to taper the practices off so swimmers can rest their bodies before their races.

“I am looking forward to taper because we will be able to rest our bodies for the big meets that are coming,” Pan said.

Taper is the practice of reducing exercise days before competition to allow for optimal performance. Swimmers will often finish practice early and keep an eye on what they are eating to make sure they are fully prepared.