The MCHS Girls’ Swim Team is competing for the Iowa Alliance Conference Title Thursday, October 23, beginning at 5 p.m. at the MCHS Natatorium. The team has been experiencing a very productive and compelling season so far. Swim Captain and senior Kayla Eide says the team is ready to compete up to the final stroke.
“I’ve been swimming for about 10 years now,” said Eide, “So it’s really bittersweet, but I’m excited for it to end and see if we make state.”
The team will take on eight other high schools including Ames, Des Moines East, Des Moines Lincoln, Des Moines North, Des Moines Roosevelt, Fort Dodge, Marshalltown, and Ottumwa.
Some swimmers begin to taper, shortening practices and increasing the intensity.
“I think sometimes at the end of the season it gets really hard to have that motivation,” said junior Madison Heard. “You’ve been working really hard for a long time; you just kind of get tired, but I definitely think it’s important to swim your best till the end, and the girls on the team just make it so much more enjoyable.”
The team continues to support each other as they push through the last arduous weeks of the season’s end.
“The highlight of the season so far is just spending practices with my friends and teammates.” Eide says, “I made a lot of memories so far this year, I’ve built a lot of connections through swimming.”
After the Iowa Alliance Conference meet, swimmers move on to the Regional State Qualifying Meet on Saturday, November 8. This will also be held in the MCHS Natatorium. They will go up against seven other high school teams.
Heard said local support plays into the team’s success, “I think [the community] plays a very big role in how our team is able to have the things that we have, to have the buses that we do, the meets, donut fridays, all of that.”
The team hopes for a successful end to the season and would greatly appreciate a large student body crowd at its upcoming competitions.
Hannah Saavedra also contributed to this story.
