Swimming Dominates League; Ready for Sections

Maddie Jang, Staff Writer

The swim teams are known as some of the best sports teams at Rio and are some of the best swim teams in Sacramento, as they dominate year after year.

The team has won all of their dual meets from McClatchy to Jesuit, El Camino and more. The team has high hopes for the few meets ahead.

“We are hoping to finish the season with wins, we have come far as a team and we are fully capable of winning all the meets ahead,” coach Ryan Jones said.

The team is practicing harder and harder everyday, including double days over spring break.

“I could spend my spring break on vacation, but in order to get results you’ve got to put in the effort” said freshman Matt Shelby. “I’d rather get better and put in the effort.”

On average, the swimmers swim around 250 laps per practice, with four practices in the week.

On Apr. 4, the team swam in the cold conditions against Whitney, and resulted with a win.

The swimmers are still bitter about the broken heater in the pool, though.

“That was probably one of the coldest meets we’ve been in,” said freshman Derek Choy “in and out of the pool.”

The coaches shared no sympathy for the freezing cold swimmers.

“Having a heater in the pool would’ve made the season a little bit more enjoyable,” said sophomore Ian Brady.

Besides the pool being colder than outside in the spring months, swim has been a succeeding sport at Rio.

The swim team is competing against a variety of teams throughout the Sacramento area.

“I think the hardest team we’ve swam against was probably Jesuit,” said junior Gavin White. “They have some really fast guys over there.”

The swim practices are two hours long, but the team always finds a way to make it more enjoyable.

“Practices are exhausting,” said freshman Sam Scatton. “but there is a really fun atmosphere that makes time go by faster.”

On Apr. 9, the team swam against Davis, the Raiders’ top competition annually. The meet is one of the final preparations for the Section meet.

No matter how the team does, though, the swimmers that will not be swimming in the postseason meets will stay loyal to the team and are already looking forward to next season.

“I am doing swim to stay in shape for the water polo season next fall.” said Choy.

The swim team is participating in the section swim meet in the near future and is determined to bring home a victory.

With only a few meets left, they are well on their way to peaking for the most important meet of the long and strenuous yet successful season.