After a long hiatus from the pool, Andover Girls Swimming struggled to keep up with Choate in its first meet after Winter Break, falling in a close 91-87 contest.
“Some of us on the team did not get to train as much over break, so we’re still trying to get back into shape,” wrote Qiqi Ren ’15 in an email to The Phillipian.
While the disheartening loss dropped Andover to 0-3 on the season, the close margin of defeat has motivated the girls to work harder in practice this week in preparation for its next meet against Loomis Chaffee.
Returner Katherine Sweetser ’17 wrote in an email to The Phillipian, “[We’re] looking to do some good strength work in the pool this week to keep building endurance. [We’re] also looking to focus on the little things, like [turning] walls and [swimming] underwater. These are the first things to go [away] when you get tired, so it is important to think about these in practice and make good habits.”
Sweetser and her teammates have their sights set on being the best.
Sweetser said, “I am hoping to drop time in the 200-Meter Freestyle, 100-Meter Freestyle and the 100-Meter Butterfly by the end of the season, and I want the girls to get best times too. One of my personal goals is to try to get the school record in the [100-Meter] Butterfly, currently held by Amy Zhao ’14.”
At the meet this weekend, Sweetser swam a 1:07.43, taking first-place in the butterfly event. She also placed second in the 200-Meter Freestyle with a time of 2:16.13. Sweetser led the team with ten individual points, not including the points she contributed in relays.
In the medley relay, Andover missed out on first place by only 14 milliseconds.
With high hopes for this weekend against Loomis Chaffee, Co-Captain Elizabeth Duserick ’16 wrote in an email to The Phillipian, “I hope we can find a win against Loomis this weekend. We’re capable, and it would be really good for the team’s momentum.”
Andover’s divers are still working hard to be ready for competition – thus far, Andover has not been able to qualify for the diving events. Once the divers master at least six different dives in practice, they can contribute points to Andover’s overall Swimming & Diving total.
Andover will face Loomis at home on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. The team hopes that its extensive work in practice on small details, as well as optimism from the Choate meet, will propel the girls to their first victory.
