“Stay loose.” 12 girls and 15 boys heard this every day they practiced.  Swim has a lot more that goes into it than most people think. Imagine you are running, you feel your legs burning as you push yourself to go fast, the long strides you take towards the finish lining, the burning feeling in your chest as you try to catch up with your breath. Now take this and do it all in the water. Seems even harder now doesn’t it?

    Training for swim takes hours of work. It is not all in the water as most might think. It is like training for running but developing a sense of breathe control to be able to last longer under the water. They work on stretching, kicks, and leg muscle development. During practice they do drills and sets which are sprints in the water.

    “I would describe the team as a support system, every kid has good moral and values, and they encourage each other,” head swim coach Leandra Salles- Cunha said.
But with a support system that team could achieve anything. And so, the swim team this year, overall, did well in all the races and given categories, with the given highlights of  senior Casey Hayford, junior Peyton Gibson, and freshman Noah Straley all placing higher from which they entered at the Class 2A State Championship Meet.

      “It takes a lot of mental toughness and staying loose to compete,” Coach Salles- Cunha said.