The girls varsity swim and dive team defeated the Lexington Minutemen 98-72 at the Evelyn Kirrane Aquatics Center on Monday, Sept. 22. This meet was also the team’s “Shoulder Check” meet: a new initiative centered around mental health awareness.
The Minutemen did not compete in the diving section of the meet, so the swimming section began with a score of 0-0.
The Minutemen came out strong, defeating the Warriors in the day’s first match, the 200 medley relay. Though the two teams were neck and neck for much of the event, the Minutemen came out on top.
The Warriors started to build momentum during the second event, the 200 freestyle. They got off to a strong start, taking an early lead, and took first and second place, with the Minutemen getting third.
Head coach Matt Barry said another important turning point in the meet was the 200 freestyle relay, the eighth event.
“We were tied going into [the 200 freestyle relay],” Barry said. “That’s when we turned the page and kept winning.”
The Warriors placed well in all of the events. Senior and captain Daisy Huang said keeping a strong mentality was crucial for the team.
“Everyone put in their best effort,” Huang said. “A lot of us swam events that we don’t usually swim, but I think everyone did a great job.”
Another standout moment from the meet was the 100 backstroke, the ninth event of the meet. Huang and sophomore Bennett Stark tied for first.
The 400 freestyle relay was the final event of the meet. The Warriors won a tight match, defeating the Minutemen by only a second.
Senior and captain Gabriella El Chemaly said relays have been important to the team in the past, and through those experiences, they have learned to maximize their performance.
“I think a lesson from the past meets and this meet was definitely working on relays, those have proven to be like meet deciders,” El Chemaly said. “Today, we got first and third, which was worth massive points.”
Huang mentioned that the team’s mentality played a crucial role in the Warriors’ win, especially when it came to her leg in the 400 freestyle relay.
“I think that we fought really hard till the end,” Huang said. “I just wanted to win, and so I just tried my best.”
