Girls’ swimming: Swimmers end the season with CCS finalists

June 4, 2012 — by Ashwini Velchamy

Despite losing several seniors last year and facing the challenge of competing in meets with an extremely small team, the girls’ swimming team managed to end an eventful season by sending four qualifiers to CCS.

Despite losing several seniors last year and facing the challenge of competing in meets with an extremely small team, the girls’ swimming team managed to end an eventful season by sending four qualifiers to CCS.

Because of the small team size, the girls faced losses against most of their competitors this year, although they did win against Homestead on March 23 with a score of 102 to 69.

“Low points [of the season] would be getting crushed by Paly and Gunn like usual,” senior Rebecca Chen said. Chen had a shoulder and back injury during the season.

However, the swimmers “thrilled” coach and teacher Kristen Thomson with their performance at CCS with four individual qualifiers, seniors Natalie Cheung and Serena Chan, sophomore Janey Heyman and freshman Yayla Sezginer. All three relay teams made it to CCS as well.

Of these swimmers, both Cheung and Sezginer qualified for finals in the 100 breaststroke and 100 backstroke respectively.

Some of the star swimmers on the team this year include Sezinger for backstroke, Chen for butterfly, junior Stephanie Chen for freestyle, Heyman for butterfly and Cheung for breastroke.

“I thought we had a great season,” Thomson said. “Our numbers went up this year, so that was great. There was also a lot of bonding going on, and the girls had fun. I couldn’t be happier.”

Rebecca Chen agrees with Thomson and considers the underclassmen effort for Senior Day one of the high points of the season.

With the season coming to a close, she said that she will indeed be missing swimming a lot.

“Swimming has made up such a big part of my life,” she said. “I’m definitely going to miss swimming for Mrs. Thomson.”

Thomson agrees that she and the team will definitely miss the seniors despite the incoming talent next season.

“[We] become a family, and you don’t ever want to see your kids leave,” Thomson said.

Stephanie Chen, although she says that she will indeed miss the seniors, is looking forward to having a new relay team next year and trying new events.

As for this year? “I have no complaints,” said Thomson, “although they could get pool covers off faster.”

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