Alice Zha ’25 swims breaststroke.
Girls Swimming kicked off its season with the first ever Andover Invitational, hosting several schools on campus. Despite limited time together, the team delivered a strong performance in its opening meet. With the season ahead, the team is optimistic about its potential for growth, setting the stage for a promising and successful winter together.
The nerves as a first-time athlete at Andover can be intense, so while they’re nothing unusual, it’s also crucial to learn how to tame them and start out on the right foot. Djenabou Bah ’28 was able to push through and come out the other side with many positive feelings after her first swimming meet at Andover.
Bah said, “[It went] exceptionally well. We put on a great fight against tough competition, especially [Phillips] Exeter [Academy]. Our swimmers really put their hearts into their races, and the fact that we worked so hard in training showed.”
Reflecting on last season’s struggles in its opening meet, the team committed to a rigid training regimen leading up to this year’s first meet after Fall break. Chloe Ru ’27 echoed Bah’s sentiment, agreeing that the meet went well and highlighting significant improvements since the end of last season.
“Overall, the team did very well… It was our first meet of the season, and many swimmers got a better time compared to last year’s first meet, which is a great sign of improvement. Additionally, the team spirit was fantastic,” Ru said.
Aimee Qi ’27 noted that it can be nerve-racking to compete in such a major event as one’s first swimming meet at Andover, especially since the invitational contained multiple schools. However, she pointed out that the new swimmers stood out in their first meet of the year.
“The new swimmers, like Katherine Feng ’27 and Sophia Tolokh ’28, did a really good job adjusting and being part of the team,” said Qi.
Similarly to Qi, Ru was impressed with the newest additions to the team. She noted that, despite their limited competitive swimming experience, they displayed great support and enthusiasm, contributing positively to the team’s dynamic.
Ru said, “I can’t name a specific person, but overall, the team is really good this year. We have a lot of new students joining us who may not have had much competitive swimming experience, but they were still very supportive and part of the relays, which was great.”
Striving to better its already strong overall performance in its first meet, the team noted areas for further improvement. Bah highlighted technical adjustments that could enhance the team’s results, explaining that even with a promising start, there is always room for refinement.
Bah said, “Some things ought to be worked on: pacing on long races and getting our flip turn at the wall right. There, we will get into some technique on underwater kicks and breakouts, which can make a difference of a few important seconds.”
Andover will face Choate away on January 11.
