Girls swim and dive end regular season

Sophia Comas, Sports Editor

The end of the year and graduation is looming in the air; tests and finals are closing in on the many students who are still unprepared for them. As the rest of the school is readying themselves for what is about to be the last step of the road in what is currently their high school journey, many others are only just beginning to walk that path, specifically the Manhattan High girls swim and dive team.

“It was fun,” Alisha McKnight, junior, said. “It can be hard but there’s a lot of teamwork and it pushes you.”

After placing first in their last home meet of the season on Friday, the team is now preparing for their season-long goal — placing at state.

“This last week has been such a wonderful success because we placed first for our senior night, which was also our last home meet,” Tara Wood, senior, said. “It was a great way to end the season.”

After formal recognition of all the seniors accomplished, the team gave it their all and swam with every ounce of their effort. Although they are pleased with the outcome, many were struck with the bittersweet feeling that no one really likes but has to go through anyway — saying goodbye.

“If there was one thing I could change it would be for none of the girls to have cried over the end season,” Wood said. “They should be so proud of how the team did.”

With the regular season now over, the girls are choosing to put their emotions aside to focus on having the best possible outcome for the last two events of the overall season.

“It was kind of sad because it’s really fun to be with all your friends on the team,” McKnight said. “When you’re swimming, you just kind of want to do your best and you want to make sure that last meet is the best that it can be.”

While for some of the swimmers the season has ended, for others it has not. The members who qualified for Centennial League are now preparing themselves for the goal they’ve had since the very beginning with their teammates cheering them on every step of the way.

“As a senior, I am overjoyed to leave on a high note and am thrilled to know the girls who are going on to League will do nothing but be exceptional,” Wood said. “I’m excited to see how they do.”

The group’s next meet will be Centennial League on May 9 for the divers who will be followed by the swimmers on May 10.