The swim season is ending soon, but the stakes are higher than ever. For the last three months, the team has gone through eight grueling swim practices and two weight lifts each week. The swimming and diving teams are preparing for Easterns, the final swim meet of the season, which will take place on February 16 and 17.
Haverford Swimming and Diving has had many impressive finishes at Easterns in the past few years including a fourth place finish last year. This year, the Haverford swim team is looking to bring home their second Easterns Champions title.
This season, the swim team finished 3-0-1 and shared the Inter-Ac title with Germantown Academy. Despite the swim team’s great success so far this season, the boys are not satisfied and are looking to bring home an Easterns title. This common goal has kept the team motivated and committed through tough practices.
On February 3rd, the Fords finished second behind Germantown at the Inter-Ac Invitational Meet, despite setting two pool records in the 200 medley relay and 100 backstroke. The rivalry between the Fords and Germantown is steeped in intense competition.
“There’s definitely a lot of bad blood between us and Germantown, similar to the Eagles-Cowboys rivalry,” Fifth Former Zack Oswald said. “It sucks that we couldn’t win the Inter-Ac outright and the Inter-Ac Invitational Meet but all we can do is look forward to Easterns.”
Despite the loss, Oswald and the rest of the team are doing their best to prepare for Easterns.
“Going into Easterns we have one goal. To win,” Oswald said. “I have never experienced an atmosphere like Easterns in my entire career. Even though we’re a team that performs well year round, we can still step up to a different level, especially in an environment like Easterns.”
Brotherhood under heat serves to bring the team together against stiff competition.
“Some of the guys and I started talking about how special the team would be since middle school. In the end, what’s going to set us apart is buying into the team and supporting our brothers louder than anyone else,” Oswald said.
“Sheesh it has been difficult to not be able to help out my team in Inter-Ac meets this year,” Fourth Former Jack Grimley said. “I am very excited and look forward to swimming at Easterns and being able to contribute to the team I’ve trained with all season. The Haverford Swimming and Diving team has been a great experience for me and I’ve gotten very close with the whole team.”
With the addition of Grimley to the swim team’s roster for Easterns, the team is stronger than ever.
“Easterns will definitely be very fun and I can’t wait to race for such an amazing team and win Easterns with them,” Grimley said.
“These last three months have been a grind. In this group of swimmers we have going to Easterns, every guy has worked their heart out,” said Team Captain and Sixth Former Eddie Kohn. “From waking up at 5:30 in the morning to practice before school to three and four-hour swims, everyone has put in the work.”
Once again, the brotherhood that the team has formed has made a huge impact on the season so far and will continue to be one.
“Training with these guys by my side has meant a great deal to me and our connection to each other will be a major factor as we roll into Easterns,” said Kohn.
With the hard work that has been put into this season, as well as the off-season training that many swimmers do, Fords Swimming and Diving looks ahead to a great meet at Easterns this year.