The Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School swim team has often had students go to state nationals and perform well. This year, the students on the swim and dive team are striving for states with hopes to win.

The team hopes to accomplish a lot of personal and group objectives this season, along with going to states, which are less than a month away. Coco Malnar, a senior and one of the captains of the swim team that has made it to states both her sophomore and junior year, hopes to make it again this year.  She has always loved swimming, and didn’t start competing until joining the high school swim team. 

Tarneem Hanna is another senior swimmer who has been on the team since her freshman year. Hanna said that as a team, everyone is working hard to try to get a boys and girls relay to states as well. They’re always working to win as many meets as possible, and they’re continuously working on getting faster and stronger.

 Malnar and Hanna said that they have already won many dual meets so far this season, and they’re planning on continuing their win streak.

The number of meets they have per week varies. However, they  have no more than two meets a week. Included in Brecksville- Broadview Heights’ home meets were January 22, which was also senior night, and the very last home meet on January 25, both of which BBHHS won.

According to Malnar, the scheduled training they attend each week can be tough. Malnar said, “The training schedule is rigorous, it is everyday after school from 3:15-5:15 pm, and then Saturday from 5:30 am to 9:30 am. We also have morning practices before school, Monday, Wednesday and Friday we swim from 5:15-6:45 am, and Tuesday and Thursday we lift from 5:30-6:45 am.”

Malnar said that the teams don’t slow down their training at all for weekends or holidays. The team keeps on working to ensure that they keep up with their skills. “We lift in the mornings every other day, then after Saturday practices as well,” said Hanna.

Malnar also said, “Over winter break our training schedule was Monday through Friday 5:30-7:30 am swim, then another swim from 10-12 pm, then a lift from 12:30-1:45 pm. On Sundays, we also had practice from 11-3pm.” Malnar said that it is definitely not an easy task to keep up with the recurring training schedule. 

The swim program offers many events and rallies that depend on what each individual specializes in. “There’s actually a lot, but some of them are 100m breaststroke, 100m backstroke, and 100m butterfly. But there’s definitely a lot more, like different distances and styles. I personally do 100m breaststroke, 50m freestyle, and 400m freestyle relay,” Hanna said. Which event athletes participate in may also vary depending on the meet, Hanna said.

Malnar said that if you are interested in joining swimming, go ahead and go to the first practice. She also said, “There are no tryouts, but I would recommend getting in the water and swimming as much as possible before the season starts. Just make sure final forms are completed and whoever wants to join is good to go.” Hanna also said that it’s a lot of commitment, but it is definitely worth it because it’s great to be around others and work together to achieve your goals.