The CRLS 2018 swim and dive team is off and running—or, swimming, for that matter. However, the swim team has struggled this year due to the loss of a significant number of seniors from last year.

This includes the legendary captain Owen Ryerson ’17, who did extremely well in states last year and was a 2016 Dual County League All-Scholastics athlete.

This year, the boys swim team is led by senior and captain Julian Baxandall. The girls swim team is led by co-captains Miya Duffy ’18 and Melissa Liu ’19. Both the boys and girls team are practicing five days a week and working hard, but competition is very tough in the Dual County League, arguably the most competitive league for swimming.

The team is relying on young talent and dedication to win some meets this season. Most swim meets are held in the evening or on the weekends, and tournament competitions exist for the top individuals in the state. “I think the team has been through a lot in the past year,” junior Tamara Lazcurain said. “But we always pull through with friendship and teamwork to grow,” she concluded.

The dive team has yet to find a coach after the beloved Ms. Sorenson, who was the dive coach for the last four years, left CRLS. According to junior Lucy Valenti, the team is trying not to let lack of a coach hold them back.

“Despite not having a coach, the team hopes to stay determined and to have a good time while improving our skills, and hopefully [we will] qualify for states and sectionals,” Valenti said.

Senior Marcus Bartholomew has stepped up to lead some dive practices. In addition to Bartholomew, the team is led by senior captain Dina Voevodsky. When asked about his role, Bartholomew said, “My role has mainly been helping the most veteran divers improve, and I think the majority of the returning divers have set new PRs at meets this year.”

With hard work and dedication, the CRLS swim and dive team will certainly be successful. Go Falcons!

This piece also appears in our January print edition.