The moment the final bell rang out at three o’clock last Tuesday, October 21, students on the swim team braved the commotion of the PCDS parking lot as they raced to the Dady Aquatic Center, which houses the pool and diving complex. There, they changed into navy-blue swimsuits, with swimmers wearing caps emblazoned with the PCDS logo. Out on the deck, senior swimmers were met with a surprise: colorful posters hung on the walls, while bouquets and other assorted treats awaited them as well. The Swim & Dive annual Senior Night was in full swing.
The crowd was energetic. Family, friends, and teachers lined the bleachers, cheering as the swimmers entered the water to warm up. As the clock inched closer to 4 PM–the meet’s designated start time–more students across all grade levels arrived at the pool with an abundance of gifts, enthusiasm, and school spirit.
Before the start of the race, the swimmers and divers gathered in a close circle to perform their pre-meet ritual. After a quick chant, the senior swimmers were pushed into the middle of the circle–a tradition typically reserved for freshmen. Mia Coviello ‘26 recalled the nostalgia of this moment and reflected on her entire experience on the team: “The past four years have been great. I’ve always really enjoyed being on the swim team here. I really love how each year it’s just a little bit different when the new freshmen come in, the seniors leave, and it’s a really fun environment. And this year it was really fun to be a captain, to take all of the good parts of the past years and try to implement them.”
At four, PCDS swimmers mounted the diving blocks alongside opponents from Scottsdale Preparatory Academy and Rancho Solano Preparatory School for the first race: the 200 IM. Consisting of teams of four, the Girls 200 IM is two laps of backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle. Senior Nancy Burns was among four PCDS swimmers to compete in this first race.
A whistle sounded, prompting swimmers to enter the water and prepare for the backstroke portion of the race. At another whistle, the swimmers pushed off the wall of the pool, cutting evenly through the water as spectators cheered enthusiastically. The very instant the backstroke swimmers completed two laps and returned to the wall, a new group of breaststroke swimmers dove into the water. Burns and the PCDS team won by a substantial margin.
Senior Elvia Hernandez also emerged triumphant, winning both the girls’ 50 and 100 freestyle races. Despite this being her first year on the team, Hernandez reflects on her experience as being “really fun.” She adds, “I don’t think I really knew what I was getting myself into this summer when I just spontaneously decided to join the team…It’s definitely a hard sport, and [it] takes a lot of dedication.”
The dedication and commitment of PCDS swimmers are truly evident. The Women’s Swim and Dive team maintains an undefeated 20-0 record, while the Men’s Swim and Dive team has a streak of 17-3. Both teams won the meet, with Burns, Coviello, and Hernandez winning all of their races as well.
Yet as is the case with the entirety of PCDS athletics, being on the swim team is not only about the accumulation of trophies and state titles, but also the sense of community that one derives from their involvement in it. Sports at PCDS are unique in that they seek to unite individuals under the common goal of bettering themselves and others. Coviello perfectly describes how even the most individual sports can be unifying in a team setting. She says, “For club swim, there are so many kids, and we don’t go to the same schools. We only see each other for those two hours of practice, and we can’t really talk much during that time. It’s a really different feeling to get to know the people on your team at school, and I just really enjoy it.”
Hernandez expresses gratitude for the juniors on the team, who strove to make Senior Night a memorable and festive occasion. Reflecting on this tight-knit community, she says, “I feel like everyone is close in some way, and it’s really nice to be a part of that.”
