The Paly girls’ varsity swim team capped off their first place Santa Clara Valley Athletic League finish with a third place finish at Central Coast Sections earlier this month. Two freshman standouts, Sabrina Lee and Kristina Xiang, played large roles in the team’s successful season.

Both Lee and Xiang began swimming in the first grade, but while Lee was already swimming competitively at the time, Xiang was just beginning to find her passion for the pool at the local YMCA.

“When an athlete starts swimming early, they learn about the sport and it helps them to understand better how to compete,” Paly head coach Danny Dye said. “Like any sport, the longer you do it, the better you will be at it. It [experience] teaches you better technique, prepares you for how to compete and makes you a smarter athlete.”

Swimming on the varsity team was a large jump for both girls, but they handled it with poise and confidence.

“I am not the most confident person,” Xiang said. “However, high school swimming has helped me tremendously.”

Varsity swimming put Xiang and Lee into a more competitive mindset.

“High school swimming puts them more in the team competition mode, and they have plenty of opportunities to race against competition in a short period of time,” Dye said. “Swimming for the school and being able to win for them also helps. But it doesn’t change them so much, just gives them a different stage to perform on.”

Despite a rigorous training regime during the spring and early summer, Xiang and Lee still find a balance between sports, school, and socializing.

“Swimming does take a little bit away from socializing,” Lee said. “But I have so many amazing friends on the swim team.”

Besides the team, which Xiang says, “is just a great group of people,” there is also an individual aspect to swimming.

Lee and Xiang each have a pre-race routine.

“With a coach who works as a physical therapist, I have definitely realized the importance of being loose before a race,” Lee said.

Xiang and Lee have found inspiration in swimmers who have accomplished great feats.

“Phil Scholz is my idol,” Lee said. “He is an amazing guy who has set like three American records, and on top of that he is blind. I can’t even go straight with my eyes open, so he is truly incredible.”

Busy or not, these girls arrive at the pool deck with a purpose.

“Swimming definitely is a sport that takes up a lot of time, but in the end I feel that it is one of the most rewarding things I could be doing,” Xiang said.

Look for these two swimmers to be an unstoppable force for years to come.