As the LISD Invitational approaches, the varsity swim team is in full preparation mode for this next week. Swimmers are fine-tuning their technique to continue their consistent podium run this season.
On Dec. 15, the varsity swim team will compete in the LISD Invitational at the RRISD Aquatic Center. During this competition, they will face many programs in Austin, such as Round Rock, Westwood, Cedar Park, and Rouse. The girls team has been having one of their most dominant seasons, achieving an unprecedented feat in school history.
“We’ve been having our best year ever right now,” junior Hannah Seal said. “The girls actually beat the guys at the last meet, which has never happened.”
Seal swims freestyle and sprints. With this success these past couple of months, the girls team know their competition and are going into the meet with confidence.
“We usually compete against the same schools most of the time, and, I think, the competition is pretty good. I know our team usually places in the top five,” Seal said.
The boys have a similar mindset and believe this year can be really monumental for both teams.
“We’re having a really good season. Our team is becoming really close, and we’re developing a lot every single meet,” Jack Ritter, senior and co-team captain, said. “We’re going to have some pretty big results at the end of the season and hopefully get guys and girls into states.”
Ritter swims short freestyle and butterfly freestyle. The boys and girls teams are practicing and preparing carefully for the LISD meet to really see where they are as the important competition events ramp up.
“Coach Felix [Gonzalez Matos] has been doing a great job getting us ready for this meet by incorporating short distances and working on dive starts – just getting us really prepared for this meet by doing similar stuff that we would in our races,” senior co-team captain Shawn Shahmir said.
Shahmir usually swims 100m butterfly, and 50m freestyle, and occasionally swims relay. To improve results, Coach Gonzalez Matos has also been incorporating a strategy called tapering to prepare better as the higher intensity meets approach. Tapering is a method of preparation in sport where athletes do less strenuous work the week leading up to a large competition. This method is supposed to prepare the athlete’s body for their best work. So far, the swim team has been positively responding to a tapering routine.
“This way, it will be nice and primed and ready to go for the championship season,” Ritter said.
This next meet is a benchmark for preparation before districts, regionals, and state coming soon in the new year after the break. Swim districts will take place on Jan. 6.
“This meet is probably going to be more of like a tune-up meet, and [we’ll] just kind of fix small race details, so we can get ready for districts and regionals and hopefully state,” Ritter said.
The seniors and juniors of the team are establishing themselves as leaders for the underclassmen. One of the primary values of the team is not just to swim fast, but enjoy the process and the contest.
“This year, we’re just focusing on just having fun while doing really well in the pool and displaying good sportsmanship,” Shahmir said.
The team atmosphere has also been positive throughout the year, according to the competitors, and the swimmers believe that competitions like the approaching one in Round Rock bring teammates closer together.
“This [meet is] a little bit more relaxed, just heading into districts and states,” Seal said. “These smaller [events] are good for team bonding. Everybody’s super close.”
The boys and girls swim team have their eyes set on the longer goal and are looking toward the LISD Invitational to help them improve their small fixes for the championship season. They appear confident for the results throughout the rest of the season, but also emphasize enjoying the experience and moments as a team.
“We’ve had a lot to show so far this year,” Ritter said, “and, I think, we just got to keep that train rolling, and we’ll be in a really good spot come late January.”
