Coed swim team remains undefeated after 3 league meets

Liana Lum, Editor-in-Chief
April 8, 2014

The swim team continues to build momentum, making school history with a yet undefeated girls’ team and a North Coast Sections considered time for the boys’ 4×400 free relay.
“We have a great team this year, and everybody is looking really strong,” head coach Victoria Fernandez, who has coached the coed team for three years with assistant coach Tristan Krautkramer, said. “We have a good mix of swimmers that have been on the team, participated in swim teams and swam competitively, bringing a new dynamic to the team and our ability to be competitive.”
With only three league meets this far, the team, composed of eight boys and eight girls, has already earned 13 new school records.
“We came in fourth place in the city meet behind SI [St. Ignatius], Lowell and University, which is really good,” junior Siobhan Lewkowitz, who is team captain alongside juniors Benzi Blatman and Allie Rosen, said. “Practices are harder, and the coaches are pushing us more, but it’s paying off.”
Coaches are also trying to get the team to a level where colleges may recruit, according to Lewkowitz.
“We are implementing a lot more interval training,” Fernandez said. “We evaluate practices to see who’s going faster or keeping pace so we can personalize the practices to create a stronger team. Along with Coach K, we work with individual swimmers at a time for personalized attention.”
Team members swim in three different lanes during practices based on their speed, with typical practices lasting two hours and focusing on technique and endurance.
All swimmers participate in swim meets with their events chosen by the coaches.
“Having a coed team doesn’t make a difference during practice,” freshman Bella Kearney, who has broken school records in the 4×200 medley relay, 200 free and 100 back, said. “Once we’re outside of the pool, we’re getting to know each other as a team. It’s nice to meet the boys you don’t see all the time.”
With practices everyday, the team knows each other very well, according to Blatman, who has set school records in the 100 free and 50 free and swam in the 4×400 free relay up for a NCS consideration time. They’ve been team bonding at In-N-Out after meets and frozen yogurt runs after practice.
“The best part of the swim team is just the fact that we are a team,” Rosen said. “Swimming is often thought of as an individual sport, but we work together as a team, always cheering one another on. We’ve only had a few meets, but we’re already getting really close.”
The next competition is Wednesday at Marin Academy, April 23 at 4 p.m.

Liana Lum

Senior Reporter

The swim team continues to build momentum, making school history with a yet undefeated girls’ team and a North Coast Sections considered time for the boys’ 4×400 free relay.

“We have a great team this year, and everybody is looking really strong,” head coach Victoria Fernandez, who has coached the coed team for three years with assistant coach Tristan Krautkramer, said. “We have a good mix of swimmers that have been on the team, participated in swim teams and swam competitively, bringing a new dynamic to the team and our ability to be competitive.”

With only three league meets this far, the team, composed of eight boys and eight girls, has already earned 13 new school records.

“We came in fourth place in the city meet behind SI [St. Ignatius], Lowell and University, which is really good,” junior Siobhan Lewkowitz, who is team captain alongside juniors Benzi Blatman and Allie Rosen, said. “Practices are harder, and the coaches are pushing us more, but it’s paying off.”

Coaches are also trying to get the team to a level where colleges may recruit, according to Lewkowitz.

“We are implementing a lot more interval training,” Fernandez said. “We evaluate practices to see who’s going faster or keeping pace so we can personalize the practices to create a stronger team. Along with Coach K, we work with individual swimmers at a time for personalized attention.”

Team members swim in three different lanes during practices based on their speed, with typical practices lasting two hours and focusing on technique and endurance.

All swimmers participate in swim meets with their events chosen by the coaches.

“Having a coed team doesn’t make a difference during practice,” freshman Bella Kearney, who has broken school records in the 4×200 medley relay, 200 free and 100 back, said. “Once we’re outside of the pool, we’re getting to know each other as a team. It’s nice to meet the boys you don’t see all the time.”

With practices everyday, the team knows each other very well, according to Blatman, who has set school records in the 100 free and 50 free and swam in the 4×400 free relay up for a NCS consideration time. They’ve been team bonding at In-N-Out after meets and frozen yogurt runs after practice.

“The best part of the swim team is just the fact that we are a team,” Rosen said. “Swimming is often thought of as an individual sport, but we work together as a team, always cheering one another on. We’ve only had a few meets, but we’re already getting really close.”

The next competition is Wednesday at Marin Academy, April 23 at 4 p.m.