Girls' Swimming Posts Another Successful Campaign

Record: 5-2 Girls’ varsity swimming performed well throughouta transitional season, even achieving a ve-game winningstreak. One of the most dedicated, hard-working andtight-knit group of athletes on campus, the team overcameconstant injuries, illnesses and the loss of some of theirstrongest swimmers, who graduated last year. They nishedout the season with record of ve wins to two lossesand a second place seat at the New England Championship.The seniors on the team were often the stars, scoringthe majority of points and helping the new swimmers acclimateto Big Red’s team. Next year will also be a toughseason for the team with more talent losses, but like thisyear, the new girls will push themselves and each otherto ll the lanes.“The girls who remain will have to work just as hardif not harder next season as we graduate so many NewEngland point scorers,” coach Jean Farnum said. “Wehave some talented young competitors who are ready tojoin our dedicated core of varsity swimmers and diversnext season. Our league continues to get more and morecompetitive as other teams load up on impact swimmersand divers.”Seniors scored 156.5 out of the 355 points Exeterscored at New Englands. Captains and seniors OliviaJackson and Catharine Shipps were responsible for 99.5of those points. Despite a back injury, senior Cory Johnsonswam a career best 59.07 in the 100-meter butter y andscored 32 points at New Englands. Seniors Emily Ball,MaryGail DiBuono and Anna Luy Tan also pulled throughfor the team and helped Exeter score the second-place spot.“This year, almost half of the team was new, and atrst we thought that it would be challenging for them toadjust to the team and school,” lower Janet Chen said.“However, all the new girls really stepped up and swamvery well at Championships. Even so, there were somethings that were out of our control. At one point in theseason, the majority of the team was out with injury orsickness. We worked hard to overcome this as a team,pushing and motivating each other.”Although the end of the season has always beenimportant for the swim team, the athletes also had strongperformances towards the beginning, putting their bestfoot forward.“A high point was de nitely our Deer eld meet,”Shipps said. “We went into it not really sure what was goingto happen, but then we ended up dominating Deer eld.We swam so fast, we surprised ourselves. It really set thetone for the rest of the season. It was a fun meet becauseeveryone was so excited and on their feet the whole time.”The returning athletes worked hard to help the newmembers feel at home and do their best.“This was the rst season where the majority of thegirls were new, and there was de nitely an adjustmentperiod at the beginning of the season, working togetherand especially learning how to practice together,” Jacksonsaid. “I think, as the season went on, it got a lot betterand a lot easier. A lot of the girls learned how the Exetersystem works in terms of sports and what varsity requirementsthere are.”Upper Corinne Noonan agreed and praised the talentof the new additions to the team.“All of the new girls that came on this year were reallyjust incredible,” Noonan said. “It was cool to transitionfrom last year, where the team had a lot of upperclassmen,to this year, where we had a lot of newer, younger kids.”The amount of time, the commitment and the passionof the swimmers make girls’ swimming one of the mostsuccessful and closest teams at Exeter every year.“NEGS is like a family,” Chen said. “I’ve never beena part of another group that is so supportive and tight-knit.Swimming is often an individual sport, but when NEGScompetes, we feel like a team.”Shipps is con dent that their mentality and all the newgirls on the team, who will be and have become leadersin their own right, will see that the spirit is carried on.“Our team is strong every year because we have suchdepth,” she said. “We have ve seniors leaving this year,but new people will replace us and be just as strong. Thetwo captains who replaced us are great, and the wholeteam will now look to them when we hand over the baton.”Uppers Diane Lee and Noonan are these captains fornext year’s squad. Although they are sad to leave, thisyear’s captains know the team is in good hands and thenew captains will step up to the plate.“The two captains are going to be awesome,” Jacksonsaid. “They were already such good leaders this year andalways stepped up. They love the sport and the team. Iknow that they’re going to do great things.”Everyone on girls’ swimming is ready to return fromthe tough season and take back their spot on top. With thenew girls prepped, the returning ones at their peak and theathletes joining next year ready to bring their talent to themix, other schools should watch out for Big Red.“Next season we’ll de nitely be working to takeback the title of the number-one prep-school swim teamin New England,” Noonan said. “You never know whatthe competition will be, but I think that we know how towork really hard and overcome challenges and that takingthe championship back is a de nite possibility.”“It’s going to be really hard say goodbye to the seniorsin June, especially after they guided us through a great yearfor NEGS ‘13,” she continued. “And it’s de nitely goingto be a little nerve-wracking to follow in the footsteps ofCatharine and Olivia because they were absolutely stellarcaptains, but I think that they’re leaving behind a greatlegacy that will help us to come back with a vengeancenext season.”