Pirate swim team gets down to business
For the last two months, the Santa Ynez Valley Union High
School swim team has gotten a jump on summer by diving into the glassy waters
of the high school pool. However, the daily practices are no pool party. They
are rigorous workouts designed to prepare the team for the tough Los Padres
League competition.
Under the leadership of Varsity Coach Jake Kalkowski and Junior Varsity Coach Elizabeth Osborne, the
teams have shown great improvement throughout the season.
The 40 swimmers have overcome exhaustion and less than
desirable weather to produce outstanding results. The season so far has seen
school records broken and CIF qualifying times met, as well as countless
personal best times.
The week of March 31 through April 4 marked the peak of
the season, meaning that the swimmers completed the most challenging practices
of the season.
For the varsity team this means both an early morning and
an afternoon practice.
The number of yards swum per day exceeded 9000, but the
athletes will be in optimal condition for the remainder of the season.
“I am extremely proud of the dedication and work effort
that the swimmers have given this season we’ve had a lot of improvements
throughout the season and it’s exciting to see athletes get results from their
hard work,” Kalkowski said.
The team also will be holding its annual Swim-a-Thon soon
to raise money for equipment and team gear.
Their next, and possibly biggest, home meet is on April 11
at 3:30 at the Santa Ynez High pool.
The Pirates will take on Cabrillo, in what promises to be
fiercely competitive meet.
The training
and dedication shown by the Santa Ynez Swim team surely will pay off with a
highly successful remainder of the season as the Pirate swimmers continue to
“rule the pool.”