Swimming Turns Tide in CCC and Makes School History Along The Way
By: Dylan Jennings
Writer Buhach Colony High School has had some winning teams this season. Women’s Volleyball and Men’s Tennis are two teams that made history and have gone farther than any team in Buhach history. Swimming has also joined the ranks with these teams and have placed themselves as one of the better swim teams in the school’s history. They worked hard all season and it showed as they became co-champions in the Central California Conference (CCC) as they tied with Merced. Let’s take a look at why they’re one of the best swim teams the school has ever had. One goal that this team had during the beginning of the season was they wanted to beat Merced High School. Merced hasn’t lost a league meet or a dual meet in nine years. While Buhach lost to Merced during the regular season, Buhach accomplished their goal and got their revenge by being the |
The entire swim team comes together and goes wild as their fellow swimmers dominate.
Photo By: Karin Groth |
first team to beat them in that span of time at the CCC Championship meet. Coach Justin Tanzillo said about the competitiveness of the meet, “It came down to the last race.” With Merced checked off the bucket list, Buhach continued to do even more great things in the CCC Championship meet. In the meet, swimming went on to break eight school records. This consisted of four relay records and four individual records being broken. The swimmers that ended up breaking these records were Seniors Gwynne McBride and Garrett Groth as well as Juniors Luke Bird and Pamela Solono. Groth nowholds the school record for the 100 fly (2:08.55), McBride holds the school records for both the 200 IM (2:16.95) and the 100 Breaststroke (1:10.38), Bird holds the school records for both the 200 IM (2:08.55) and the 100 breaststroke (1:05.43), and Solono holds the school record for the 50 freestyle (25.38). Four relay teams, two men’s and two women’s, also broke school records. The men’s relay team consisting of Zachary Fookes, Bird, Groth, and Aaron Helfgott now holds the school record for the 200 Medley. Another men’s relay team consisting of Helfgott, Will Seifert, Fookes, and Bird now holds the school record for the 400 free relay. The women’s relay teams also hold records in the same events. Emma Seifert, Gwynne McBride, Erin McBride, and Solono hold the records for both the 200 Medley and the 400 Free relay events.
One huge reason for the team’s success is the unity that this team displayed during the season. Coach AJ Abril said about the team, “What we’ve been preaching and what we’ve been talking about is unity and it finally clicked for them.” Groth also added, “During one of the last races during the CCC’s the entire BC swim team was behind the lanes cheering on our team. We are one solid team who helps each other succeed, and we constantly push one another to be the best we can be. I wouldn’t want to trade any member of my team for anyone else.” Not only does it come down to unity, but this was one of the hardest working teams the school has ever had. Bird said about the biggest thing he can take from this season, “Well I think it shows that when the whole team works hard, you can accomplish a lot and that’s exactly what we did.” Hard work is common among the best teams and this team definitely showed it. Another reason that the team competed very well was that they took part in a strategy called a taper. For those of you who don’t know what a taper is, it basically is the team works rigorously hard for two and a half months of the season. After those two and a half months, then the team begins to swim less or taper off the yards that they swim and begin to give their body more rest. Tanzillo said, “The whole concept behind it is that your body gets used to working a certain amount of distance or a certain amount of yards. So what happens is your body is in a certain amount of shape and then near the end of the season we start to taper off the yards so you’re using less energy and your muscles are resting so when you get to go and race your muscles aren’t as tired anymore.”
This team definitely turned the tides this season. They upset the team that was projected to win it all. They broke multiple school records. They came together to fight towards a CCC title. They succeeded in their efforts and are bringing a title to Buhach. However, it doesn’t just end there. With all of their accomplishments, they qualified to compete in Sections. Buhach has 27 swimmers who will compete in sections this year. Abril said that he can’t remember the last time they had so many swimmers moving on to compete. Buhach swimming has made the parents, coaches, students, and ultimately school proud. They have accomplished so much and they deserve being in the upper echelon of swim teams at Buhach Colony High School. Ultimately, they deserve the title.
One huge reason for the team’s success is the unity that this team displayed during the season. Coach AJ Abril said about the team, “What we’ve been preaching and what we’ve been talking about is unity and it finally clicked for them.” Groth also added, “During one of the last races during the CCC’s the entire BC swim team was behind the lanes cheering on our team. We are one solid team who helps each other succeed, and we constantly push one another to be the best we can be. I wouldn’t want to trade any member of my team for anyone else.” Not only does it come down to unity, but this was one of the hardest working teams the school has ever had. Bird said about the biggest thing he can take from this season, “Well I think it shows that when the whole team works hard, you can accomplish a lot and that’s exactly what we did.” Hard work is common among the best teams and this team definitely showed it. Another reason that the team competed very well was that they took part in a strategy called a taper. For those of you who don’t know what a taper is, it basically is the team works rigorously hard for two and a half months of the season. After those two and a half months, then the team begins to swim less or taper off the yards that they swim and begin to give their body more rest. Tanzillo said, “The whole concept behind it is that your body gets used to working a certain amount of distance or a certain amount of yards. So what happens is your body is in a certain amount of shape and then near the end of the season we start to taper off the yards so you’re using less energy and your muscles are resting so when you get to go and race your muscles aren’t as tired anymore.”
This team definitely turned the tides this season. They upset the team that was projected to win it all. They broke multiple school records. They came together to fight towards a CCC title. They succeeded in their efforts and are bringing a title to Buhach. However, it doesn’t just end there. With all of their accomplishments, they qualified to compete in Sections. Buhach has 27 swimmers who will compete in sections this year. Abril said that he can’t remember the last time they had so many swimmers moving on to compete. Buhach swimming has made the parents, coaches, students, and ultimately school proud. They have accomplished so much and they deserve being in the upper echelon of swim teams at Buhach Colony High School. Ultimately, they deserve the title.