The NDB 2026 swim season ended with a high-speed finish, with the team working together all spring long to finish with one of the best seasons in NDB swim history.
This year’s success was anchored by its strong leadership under team captains seniors Gabrielle Goldfarb, Emma Kistler, and Sophie Kistler. 4-year swim veterans, these seniors became leaders in the pool as they encouraged dedication and commitment within the team.
“It’s been great being team captain, the team was already pretty bonded because a lot of us are on the water polo team, but it’s been great getting to know everyone new,” shared Goldfarb. “I think the biggest struggle has been getting people motivated and making sure that they’re not too negative…I want us to uplift everybody instead. I’ve learned that people respond to how you react, so if you are negative, other people will be too. Even if I’m not feeling the best, I always try to be positive and be a leader.”
Under the guidance of Coach Wendy Connolly, the team has seen significant growth both athletically and emotionally as the season has progressed. As an NDB history teacher and long-time swimmer, Connolly prioritizes endurance training and proper technique to ensure her swimmers have a strong foundation.
“This swim season has been amazing, everyone has made their personal best and we have really adopted a positive mindset…we’ve built up our confidence, we’re being more positive,” commented Connolly. “My advice [to finish the season] would be to mimic what we do in practice at meets. Practice the finish, practice the breakouts, practice the starts, and bring that to practice every single day…then meets will be no big deal because you already did the hard work.”
Major meets at high schools like Harker and Sacred Heart brought a sense of teamwork and school spirit to the pool as students focused all their energy on the upcoming West Bay Athletic League (WBAL) swim finals. Before the league finals, the team traveled to the SoCal Catholic School Invitational on April 11th, a prestigious swim meet in Santa Margarita, to compete against some of the region’s top swimmers.
WBAL is an intense two-day meet that serves as the finale to a season full of grit and determination, where everyone’s effort throughout this season will be showcased. Individual swimming takes place on Friday, the 1st of May. Swimmers are looking to secure new personal bests, along with performing well to showcase the team’s strength and collective speed. If swimmers manage to place in the top 16, then they will qualify and compete in the finals that following Saturday, the 2nd.
This meet is forecasted to be a strong example of the swim teams’ hard work and effort put in throughout this season. Congratulations to all NDB swimmers for all their accomplishments so far, and good luck as this season wraps up.
