By David Zheng
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Two years ago, the women’s swimming team won its 23rd consecutive State championship, breaking the previous record of 22 consecutive State championships for any women’s sport set by Punahou School in Hawaii from 1974 to 1995. After another State victory last year, this year’s women’s swimming team is just looking to extend its unprecedented record with a 25th consecutive State championship.

Sectional preliminaries are scheduled for Feb. 3 and Feb. 5. If the women’s swimming team advances in the tournament – and chances are that it will – it will compete at the State meet on Feb. 11 and Feb. 12.

According to Samantha Shaheen, varsity swimmer and senior, both the Sectional and State meets are two days long. “If you make the Sectional team and get your State cut, you’ll move on to competing at State where you will hopefully score points,” Shaheen said. “The reason Sectional and State are both two days is because the first day is preliminaries and the second day is the finals, but you can only score points at finals.”

Head Coach Chris Plumb said the team does not plan to do anything differently this year in its bid for its 25th consecutive State title. “We plan on doing all the things necessary to perform at our best at the State championship meet,” Plumb said. “It is 24 years of support, not pressure; people cheering us on and supporting us and helping us understand the value of hard work and having big dreams.”

Shaheen, who swims the 100-breaststroke, said that the team is starting to taper in preparation for State. “Between Sectionals and State we won’t do anything, and we’ll just be relaxing for the State meet,” Shaheen said. “We’ll still have morning and afternoon practices, but they’ll just be really easy.”

When asked about some of the other schools in the tournament, Plumb said that this school’s women’s swimming team focuses solely on itself. “We view the tournament as four quarters in a game with a six-day halftime period, and our goal is to improve each quarter and manage the emotions of the tournament,” Plumb said. “The coaches and athletes are focused and prepared for the challenges that lay ahead.”

Shaheen said she agreed with Plumb in that there is more support than pressure. “It could be a lot of pressure, but it’s really just an honor to have all those people behind us,” Shaheen said. “A lot of swimmers from past years will come back to cheer for us, so it’s nice to know how much work has gone into this whole thing. The best part of being on deck at State is looking up and seeing all the Carmel fans in the stands.”