By: Lia Contreras
Staff Writer
As the new swim season begins, old and new swimmers are diving into the pool with determination and excitement for the competitions ahead. After months of preparation and anticipation, athletes are ready to challenge themselves, improve their times, and support one another throughout the season. With practices starting and meets approaching, the team is focused on building strength, confidence, and strong team spirit in the water.
Freshman, Priscilla Ruiz says, “I’ve been swimming since I was five and I’ve always had a passion for swimming. Once I got to high school and found out there was a swim team, I knew I was going to try to join.” One goal Ruiz has for this swim season is to make it to valley for her 500-meter freestyle. “Being on the swim team brings a good balance, knowing that I can do both sports and school at the same time.” For Ruiz, the most challenging stroke or event is her five-hundred freestyle which is twenty laps. “Swimming has shaped me in many ways, especially overcoming challenges and just being able to be myself.” Ruiz also broke the school record in the 500 and broke the record of 6:16.26! Ruiz is ready to start her first season with the Ridgeview swim team!
Senior Landon Lemison says he’s been swimming competitively for about eight years. Lemison says, “Being on the swim team can also really impact your schedule. We’ve got a lot of afterschool practices and meets that require you to leave school early, so it adds a lot to your plate because then you have to make up some missing assignments or tests in some of your classes.” Lemison also says that the most challenging stroke for him is butterfly. “I’ve always struggled with that and I don’t ever see myself swimming that event,” he added. Lemison also says, “I feel like something I learned even outside of the pool is just learning to just push through challenges.” Lemison says that the most difficult team to beat will be Bakersfield Christian High School. “BCHS has a really good team and a lot of good swimmers, so I think they will be pretty hard to beat.” Lemison is also ready to start his last season here at Ridgeview.
Diego Rodriguez, swim coach of three years says, “This season I’m the new head coach. We lost a lot of seniors, so we are doing a really big rebuild. We have a lot of JV swimmers, but not that many varsity swimmers.” Rodriguez says his main goal for this season is to make sure all the swimmers are in a good environment and drop times on other races. “The biggest challenge I think students face is trying to balance school life and swim life. A lot of the students who are in band and doing other sports have it hard trying to manage everything at once.” Rodriguez says that swimming helps shape athletes by helping them with time management, self discipline, and being more social. Rodriguez is ready to start coaching these students and helping them become the best version of themselves!
As the season continues, the swim team hopes to grow stronger with every practice and meet, pushing themselves to improve and represent their school with pride. Each swimmer is working hard to beat their personal bests while also supporting their teammates and building a strong sense of unity. With determination and dedication in the pool, this year’s swim season is expected to be full of growth, exciting competition, and memorable moments that will make the team proud.
