diving into
Victory
F
or many sports, COVID-19 proved to be a challenge that would greatly impact the season. However, the boys swim and dive team managed to have a successful season amidst the changes brought on by the pandemic. The team focused on social distancing and having shorter practices to limit the chance of exposure. They also wore masks any time they were out of the water. While the season looked different than previous years, the swimmers were happy to be able to compete. “You would think the boys would be resistant to being socially distant or following those directions and protocols, but they were so good about it,” head coach Annette McDonald said. “I would credit that to leadership, they wanted to swim the whole season and not have to quarantine.” More than ever, McDonald is proud of her team and the way they managed to maintain high standards and positive attitudes. “The seniors just did a great job of being positive role models,” McDonald said. “We always had a mindset this could be our last meet or our last practice.”
While the state championship was marked by safety protocols, the team took the changes in stride. “Everything moves the same, it just takes a few more steps to get there,” freshman Dawson Bonnell said. Despite the challenges, the season still turned out to be beneficial. By completing the 100 meter breaststroke in under a minute, senior Riley Sirimongkhon-Dyck achieved a personal goal. “I had been working [towards that] for around two to three years,” SirimongkhonDyck said. “I also became the league champion in that event, which was exciting.” The swim and dive team placed fourth out of 11 teams at Sunflower League, a special moment for the coaches and swimmers to share. “The guys were all so excited to see that their hard work had paid off and I was so incredibly proud of them,” McDonald said. “Divers and swimmers both did incredibly well and we were really fortunate to have divers that contributed to the team and helped the score by quite a bit.”
Swimming freshman
Dawson Bonnell • Honorable mention All Sunflower League
4
senior
Riley Sirimongkhon-Dyck • First team All Sunflower League • Second team All State • State: third place - 100 fly, sixth place - 100 breast
