This past month, the Tigers traveled to Southern California, where they participated in the SoCal Catholic School Invitational Swim Meet at Santa Margarita High School. This was one of the largest and most exciting meets of the season, with many strong teams from numerous different areas competing. The Tigers arrived ready to race and ended the weekend with solid swims, several personal bests, and an abundance of team spirit.
Leading up to the meet, the team experienced a mix of nerves and excitement. In the weeks leading up to the meet, they spent their afternoon practices at the Serra High School pool, where each swimmer worked on improving their endurance, technique, and consistency. Since everyone knew the competition at this meet would be fierce, they pushed themselves in the water and supported each other as a team. Senior Sophie Kistler spoke on the preparation leading up to the meet.
“I was definitely really excited to get down to SoCal and swim for my school,” shared Kistler. “I feel like the entire team has been working really hard all season and we have all improved and progressed as the season has gone on and it was really exciting to get to travel and represent Notre Dame in LA.”
From the start of the races, the Tigers put in a full effort. Both individuals and relays showed great improvement, and most events had strong finishes from all over. Even in close races, each athlete cheered for the others on the deck as they swam. There was a great deal of energy throughout the entire competition from all the athletes, and it was clear how much work goes into training.
The mixed emotions of the team at the conclusion of the meet were to be expected; they are proud of their accomplishments. Several of the swimmers dropped time, while several more received valuable experience racing against higher-quality athletes than they are used to competing against. Emma Kistler highlighted how she was feeling after the meet and how the entire team was feeling as well.
“I am really happy with how we all swam,” said Kistler. “This was one of the first times that we have been able to travel all together for a meet and it was really exciting to get to bond with the team other than just during practice or during a game. I am really proud of us as a team and I am really excited to see what some of the younger swimmers do in the years to come.”
There was also more to the trip than just the pool; when the Tigers weren’t at the pool, they took advantage of their time in Southern California. One of the places the team visited was the Irvine Spectrum shopping center. After a successful day of shopping, they enjoyed dinner at California Pizza Kitchen, which turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. The Tigers were fortunate enough to spend the day at Disneyland, giving them all a great break from the pressure of the meet and allowing them to enjoy each other’s company outside of the pool.
For the three seniors, Emma Kistler, Sophie Kistler, and Gabrielle Goldfarb, this meet was meaningful in that it was their last meet as traveling team members. After many years of dedication to the Tigers, this trip provided an opportunity for these young women to reflect on their contributions to their team and the memories they created during their time in the program.
Overall, the SoCal Catholic School Invitational was a great mix of hard work, enjoyment, and bonding among teammates. The Tigers enjoyed success in the meets and created memories that will last well beyond this season.
