Swim team dives into new season

Sarah Margolis, Ryan Sugrue, and Kaleigh Pishkin will lead the swim team this year as captains. photo by Jillian Donahue

 

Carolyn McCarthy, Veritas Staff

Summer has ended and every one’s hot summer day is turning to a cold winter’s night.

Summer is everybody’s favorite time of year with that blazing heat that makes it nice to go for a big splash in your swimming pool.

As the winter fast approaches, winter sports begin to take place. One of those sports is your favorite summer activity, swimming!

Swim tryouts took place on Nov. 30  and Dec. 1.  Coach Julie Margolis said that the team gained 16 new swimmers this year.

Hannah Millen, a junior and three sport athlete, is excited to try out swimming as a fun alternative to basketball this year.

“I thought this would be a great opportunity to do something I have never done before; it’s nice to have a change sometimes. I’m trying to push myself out of my comfort zone!”

Millen also says that the older and more experienced swimmers will definitely have a great impact on her.

“They are all really nice and amazing people! I know that I can go to them with any problems or questions I have and they’ll help me through them. It’s really nice knowing that you have someone to rely on and a friend to help me through the season.”

Some of those older and more experienced swimmers include seniors Ryan Sugrue and Sarah Margolis.

With many new personal records broken last year, both seniors have been anticipating the new season to hopefully improve and make many more memories before their last swim meet of their high school careers comes upon them.

Sugrue says that one of his favorite parts of being on the swim team is how everyone supports each other.

“Swimming is a difficult sport to pick up and everyone on the team is super supportive of one another which makes it much easier.”

Sugrue also says that swimming is a great way to stay in shape while having fun, and that after a stressful day at school it’s a nice way to just unwind at practice.

Both seniors have been preparing for college and to leave the high school swim meets behind, but Margolis plans on continuing to swim through her college experience as well.

“It is actually one of the main factors in my college decision. Swimming has been my life since I can remember. Swimming also is often what I do to relax, and I hope that I will swim in college to continue being in the fun, competitive atmosphere of swimming that I have been in for my whole life.”

The team wants to succeed throughout their season and Margolis added that she is “hoping to improve the numbers of the team for the future after I graduate,  to create a good, competitive reputation for the team at Rockland High.

She also said that she hopes to qualify for MIAA Sectionals this year.

The swim team’s practices are held at the Hanover YMCA Monday through Thursday from 8-9:30 p.m.

The swim team will have its first meet on Dec. 18 at the Scituate Racquet Club against Cohasset.

They will compete in the Middleboro Invitational on Dec. 28 during the holiday break.