Story and Photo by Viviana Valencia, Staff Writer
The women’s swim and dive team secured its first victory in Pasadena, reaching sixth place in the Orange Empire Conference Championships.
They went into their April 17-19 matches to finish in the top half; the first time the team has been in the top ranks since Head Coach Frisk Driscoll began in 2021.
The women’s team ended in third place in the top six. Combined with the men’s team, they are placed in fourth place in the top six.
“We do hard and challenging things when it comes to practice, we try to create a game day atmosphere so when we get to a meet… confidence is instilled in them, ready to face any challenges,” said Driscoll.
Driscoll mentioned the team’s size has impacted each athlete’s work ethic, often making them take on more than the opposing teams. He has seen the effort each of them has made to get the team as far as they have, stating that sometimes they have to push themselves out of their comfort zone, “One of the big things we do throughout this season is figuring out what events our athletes can excel in […] sometimes it includes them doing an event they have never done before.” said Driscoll.
Driscoll highlighted two freshman players: Karly Lepel and Isabelle Neri. Both players have shown endurance in participating in events they’ve never done before, but they are determined to do so to advance their team to higher ranks.
In upcoming events, Lepel will do a 500-yard freestyle and a 200-meter backstroke, trusting her coaches in training to look into her upcoming results in the top 8. Neri will do the 200-meter butterfly stroke, fully understanding and trusting coaches to lead her to where she can really excel.
For more on the team and upcoming Women’s Swim and Dive events, visit the Cypress College Athletics Website.
