On April 5, the West High swim team had its last meet of the season before TCAL championships.  This meet also happened to be the swim team’s Senior Night.  The graduating seniors on the team are Claire Lawlor, Aline Alducin, Brett Hanes, Marx Peña and Kristian Ibale.  The West relay team of Caitlin O’Neill, Natalie Mangskau, Aline Alducin and Claire Lawlor won the 200 medley relay (2:00.76) and the 200 freestyle (6:45.46).  Mangskau also qualified with a time of 1:11.43 for the 100 breaststroke.  O’Neill won both the 200 IM (2:20.03) and the 100 freestyle (59.46).

For boys, Peña broke the Boys 200 IM record (2:25.74) and won the 100 butterfly (1:02.11) and 100 breaststroke (1:04.51).  Ibale won the 100 backstroke (1:06.85).

For Peña, he explained the best part of his season was that, “I already made sections off my second meet because I missed quite a lot at the start due to sickness.”  Peña in the past has broken TCAL records in the 200 IM (2:14) and 100 Breaststroke (1:06).  When describing her season, Junior O’Neill said, “Our team is a family although we are a small team.  I was able to make the events I wanted in sections.  I was able to make more friends on the team and it was an all- around fun season.”  O’Neill hopes for more people to try out for the swim team next year. Swim coach, Jacob Lawson, believes that his team has really improved.  “All of these swimmers are working hard to drive time for their goals and they’ve been successful so far.”  Coach Jacob’s prediction for TCAL was that, “We are going to have one of the better end years of our season so far.”

Although the swim team didn’t win the meet, their hard work and determination that they put in to prepare for TCAL is more admiring.