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Trojan Swim & Dive • 12 Sports FAQ
TROJAN SWIM & DIVE
BY THE NUMBERS
398
Total team score after meet on the 8th
4
Ranked 4th in the Maroon and Gold invite 2022 Tiger Division
5
Na placed 5th in the 200 yard free relay
RUBICON PHOTO: Salah Abdukarim A DIFFERENT ELEMENT. Sophomore Connor Overgaard dives into the water. “In terms of competition, swimming is a fight for every hundredth against yourself and for your team. It’s literally a different element humans were never built for.“
Coaches in the past three years
21.6
Average amount of points scored by SPA swimmers at the last meet
2
Bangoura placed 2nd in the 200 yard medley relay
WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAVE Trojans swim through adversity
ANNIE BAI
THE RUBICON As the Trojan Swim team’s season begins, they find themselves yet again with a different coach for the third season in a row. After last year’s Coach Sam left, the team now needs to adjust to new coach Dan Hansen and the assistant coach Charles Spencer quickly with their first meet coming up soon against Como Park on December 15th. “Where did Sam go? No one really knows.” junior Tuco Dixon said.
Despite this major change, the team feels optimistic for their upcoming season, “We have quite a few new swimmers this year, so I think we have a chance at being even more competitive in our conference than last year.” sophomore Rishi Bhargava said. With the coaching change, the students have more or less gotten into a consistent training schedule practicing technique drills daily. Many new swimmers are still getting a feel for the sport so students of all levels are welcome to try out.
The limitations on practices and meets caused by Covid still remain, this year, there is no bus offered for the swimmers which makes transportation to their training pool difficult for the younger students that can’t drive yet. Luckily the team captains senior Pah Na and junior Tenzin Bawa have been a huge help in providing transportation as needed.
It is because of the combined effort of these helpful team members that the SPA Trojans can continue, “Collectively, with teammates from highland, we prevented the co-op from disbanding.” Bhargava said.
The swimmers all have their favorite moments both in and out of the pool. “My favorite moment of all of swim is the annual photo that my friends and I take on picture day.” Dixon said.
Between school, practices, and meets, the swimmers still find time to enjoy and have fun with their team members. “The swim team has such a great team culture. One of my favorite traditions is Post-meet bagels and “tea parties” on the pool floor.” sophomore Connor Overgaard said.
The swim team is always looking for more students to share these experiences with, email the team captains if you are interested in joining.
RUBICON PHOTO: Salah Abdukarim
STRIKE A POSE. Senior Pah Na jokingly poses for a funny photo as he jumps off the diving board.
SEASON AT
OPPONENT DATE AND TIME LOCATION
CENTRAL
CENTRAL, COMO PARK, HARDING, HUMBOLDT, PAUL JOHNSON 1/20 5:00 p.m. 1/27 5:30 p.m.
1/28 6:00 p.m. HARDING H.S. HUMBOLDT H.S.
ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY A GLANCE
Who do you think will be the MVP this season and why?
“Personally, I think that our team will be hard carried by Connor
Overguard, Rishi Bhargava, Miles Kao, and
Gabriel Bangoura.
-Tuco Dixon “ I’m a flexible swimmer who basically
“I think Gabriel Bangoura will be the swims whatever event would be most beneficial to my team depending on the meet. That is everything except breaststroke—I leave that to Rishi. MVP on the swim team because this is his first year on the team, he’s been an exceptional swimmer and a great teammate. - Tenzin Bawa “ I think it will be Pah Na because he always swims the events nobody else wants to, and it helped us to not lose a meet. He also has good team spirit. -Gabriel Bangoura “ We are all competitive swimmers. Gabriel,
Connor, and I were all mentioned, as well as
Miles Kao who goes to
Highland.
-Rishi Bhargava
DID YOU KNOW...
SIRI PATTISON STAFF WRITER Over 100 years of tradition across two schools; brush up on your St. Paul Academy and Summit School trivia with these facts.
SCHOOL COLORS
In the early years of St. Paul Academy, the Blake School’s colors were also blue and gold. To solve this issue, the schools decided to bet their respective rights to the colors on a football game. SPA won the game, forcing Blake to change their school colors and establishing SPA’s signature navy blue and “old gold.”
MANDATORY FOOTBALL
The first principal of St. Paul Academy (founded in 1900), made football mandatory for all students. This tradition lasted for over 40 years. Wheeler also sectioned the student body into the Blues and Golds, providing opportunities for the two groups to athletically and academically compete. SPA’s school spirit has taken on different forms throughout the years. In addition to the mascot and the Spartan Beat (which are thought to have emerged in the ‘60s), SPA has had at least a couple school songs.
SAINT PAUL ACADEMY SCHOOL SONG:
Saint Paul Academy, noble and strong. Thy sons with reverent voices raise their song. ____________, with eager hearts they give. Loyal and true to thee, as one they live. Years may pass over us, soon our pathways part. May boyhood’s days be ever near our hearts.
FOOTBALL FIGHT SONG:
On, on Academy, march to victory! Fight right through that line and make the way to pay dirt pay! RAH, RAH, RAH! On, on you Blue and Gold Win for SPA. Fight, fight, fight your way to victory!
DRAKE ARENA
Now home to the SPA boys hockey team and St. Catherine University’s Wildcats, was built in 1967. It was funded by Carl Drake, who was a SPA hockey captain himself in the 1930s.
VARSITY LETTERS
In 2018, SPA switched the letter “A” on sports jackets to say “SPA.” The “A” stood for the Academy, a longtime moniker for SPA. SPORTS AFTER THE MERGE
After the 1969 St. Paul Academy and Summit School merger, the boys hockey and girls tennis teams excelled, as well as the soccer program under Buzz Lagos. The SPA boys competed in the state tournament for 13 consecutive years in the 80s and 90s.
ATHLETICS AT THE SUMMIT SCHOOL
Girls at the Summit School played half-court basketball, tennis, golf, field hockey, and sometimes even fencing, modern dance, and ice hockey. Summit School would have “play days” with other all-girls schools, which included sports competitions by grade level, as well as lunch and tea.
TITLE IX
In 1968, SPA launched a reevaluation of its athletic programs to ensure gender equality under this title.
