By Nicole Banh | Tongva Times
April 26 is when the swim team participates in the Almont league preliminary. This is when all swimmers compete to individually qualify for the finals, which occurs on April 28.
On April 19, the Gabrielino varsity swim team competed against San Gabriel High School at Rosemead Park. Both teams won, with the girls scoring 117-25 and the boys scoring 142-25.
After spring break, the Eagles jumped back into swimming competitions with Alhambra High School on April 12, at Smith Park. Once again, both teams won. The girls getting a score of 95-70, and the boys getting 135-27.
“We’re in the Almont League so there are six schools we compete against,” explains senior Grace Patterson, one of four captains on the swim team. “I want to say we’re top two or top three, we’re pretty good.”
On March 29, the Gabrielino varsity swim team competed against Montebello High School at Smith Park. Varsity girls won 103 to 29, and the varsity boys also won by 138 to 19.
“This season I really want to connect the gap that was forced by COVID and the whole pandemic,” states Leonardo Cerros, senior, who is also a captain on the swim team. “There’s a whole group of freshmen and sophomores who don’t really know the juniors”
Before then, the Eagles went against Bell Gardens High School at Schurr, on March 22. Once again both teams won, with the girls swim team winning a score of 95 to 54, and the boys winning 125 to 21.
“I make sure everyone is where they need to be,” states Joseph Peng, a captain on the swim team. “Typically that means at meets, I make sure that people are getting to their events, people know what we’re doing, and help keep people motivated.”
On March 8, the team fought valiantly against Mark Keppel at Smith Park. Unfortunately, both teams lost, with the girls losing with a score of 64 to 105, and the boys scoring 56 to 114.
“They are really competitive, but they’re also really fun, and sometimes I even forget we’re racing someone else because we’re always trying to race each other,” Patterson said, recounting her experiences with competing with other schools. “It can get pretty competitive, but that makes it fun.”
March 1 was when the Gabrielino swim team began competing in the Almont League this year, with an away game against Schurr High School.
The team began the season with the girls losing 54 to 115, and the boys winning 107 to 63.
“I’d definitely say we have a lot of challenges that we go through, and if we just try our best it’ll just work out in the end,” explains Brenda Yu, another captain on the team.
Yu added, “I just want to have a good time and make a lot of memories, it’s my last year. So I just want to have fun and to make my senior year a memorable year. Like I don’t want to stress about anything.”
