With a few weeks of training under their belt, the girls swimming and diving team was finally ready to test themselves against Greenwich Academy on Saturday, December 10. Going into the meet, Coach Zurolo knew that Greenwich Academy “was going to be strong,” as they have a year-round program. She explained that it is only “their first official dual meet,” so they will just be using it as an opportunity to “get a good baseline for the rest of the season.”

Despite being down a few key swimmers due to injury, the girls competed well against a very talented Greenwich Academy team, with a number of impressive second and third place finishes. However, Greenwich would ultimately claim a well-deserved win. Mrs. Zurolo was very impressed with how “the new swimmers played [such] a big role” in the meet. She credits new coach Trottier for working with the novices and getting them ready to compete under a very limited time frame.

The Kent girls diving squad, led by Captain Callie Celestin ’17, also lost to Greenwich Academy. Callie noted that the Greenwich Academy team had multiple junior national team members, so the girls realized “all [they] could do is do the best [they] could and have fun.” With a lack of inexperienced divers, the team is truly learning and growing together. “Even though we had some mess ups, we maintained a positive attitude,” said Callie.

When talking to Captain Lucy Freidenrich after the meet, she talked about how the girls have created a positive culture that encourages them to work hard. This season, every member of the team “wrote down their goals on paper and attached them to the entrance of the locker room.”

This team culture is important heading into winter break, as the team can either make progress or get set back in training after almost three weeks of no school. To encourage each other, the team “has a group chat to let everyone know when they work out.” However, Mrs. Zurolo says that “it is ultimately down to the individual” to put in the work over break and come back ready to hit the water.