By Andrew Tokarz
Esprit de Corps
Eisenhower HS
1st Place
Division 2, Yearbook
Sports Reporting
Known as successful and competitive, the womens swim and dive team sent six members to States including: senior diver Andrea Bugariu and swimmer Heather Wagner, junior swimmer Abigail Desmet, sophomore swimmers Bianca Licari and Abby Warner, and freshman swimmer Amelia Plonis.
“I did pretty good, considering we’re a division one school and there are hundreds of competitors at the meet,” Desmet said.
Desmet finished ninth place in the 50 freestyle and 11th in the 100 free. Results like that require preparation. Athletes like Warner, who was a relay State qualifier, prepared herself for the meet of a lifetime.
“We tapered and we ate a lot of carbs before, to prepare for it,” Warner said. “We were all really nervous, but we stayed positive and got through it.”
Nerves don’t come as a surprise in big moments—like a State swim meet—especially for the younger athletes such as Plonis, who was also a State qualifier.
“I was pretty intimidated, because there was all of these fast swimmers who I had to compete against,” Plonis said.
For some, it was their first time at States; but Bugariu, who finished ninth in diving, is a regular at these things.
“It felt nice knowing that I could make it to states all four years,” Bugariu said. “It was kind of emotional, because it was my last high school meet; but it was bitter sweet.”
Whether it was their first appearance or their final appearance, each girl represented the womens swim and dive program in a positive light, kept the legacy alive for more years to come and created memories along the way.
“It was a pleasure to be there with my teammates, coaches and everyone. It was really special to me,” Desmet said. “The memories that were made throughout the season all culminated at the state meet to bring everything to an amazing close.”