The Tracy High Swim Team begins their 2021 season with strict precautions in place for the safety of both the coaches and student-athletes. Practices take place Monday through Friday from 3:00 to 5:00 for advanced swimmers and 4:00 to 6:00 for beginner swimmers. Tracy High swim team is a welcoming environment for student-athletes to be a part of.

Coach Lauren Koury is the head coach and this is her second year coaching swim at Tracy High School. The two assistant coaches are Coach Rebekah Doran and Coach Todd Lieberg.

A major precautionary rule for student athlete’s is to wear a mask on arrival and departure while at the swim practice. In addition, any failure to abide by the rules will result in removal from the team which demonstrates how serious the rules for swim are.

Junior Latisha Luu, a Varsity team member whose favorite stroke is butterfly, reminisced on past swim meets.

“My favorite part about swim is going to swim meets and watching my friends cheer each other on,” said Luu, who continued that the hardest part about swim is feeling fatigued and having to continue to push through a hard practice and many swimmers agree.

Similarly, junior Makayla Thomas said, “The hardest part about swim is maintaining a good diet and trying to get back into shape after not being able to swim for a long time.” Thomas also added that her favorite part about swim is being able to socialize safely with all her teammates and being able to get back into shape.

Senior Colleen Mckenna’s favorite events are the 200 medley relay, 200 free, and 50 free. Regarding the changes due to the pandemic McKenna said, “Swim is entirely different because it’s just a different atmosphere with new swimmers and many [that] have left. I miss interacting with everyone and having fun at meets.”

Another returning swimmer is junior Halee Kleebsamut who talked about her opinion on the hardest aspect of swim. “Staying consistent in this sport [is important]. If you take a day off the next day will be hard. Swim is just a sport that is consistent and can’t take a long break from it because it can be hard to get back into the flow of it,” Kleebsamut said.

The swim team’s hard work will help them immensely for their first meet on the 26 of February against Lincoln High School. The returning players will help mentor the new swimmers through the challenges of their first meet to push them to be their best.

Swim is different this year, but the Tracy Bulldogs will push through all the challenges thrown towards them.