The Palo Alto High School girls’ swim team (1-0) took its first non-league win last Friday with a preseason tri-meet victory over visiting Los Altos High School and Menlo School.
The Vikings scored 262 points to outdistance Los Altos (78) and Menlo (25) on an overcast day at the McKenzie Aquatic Complex.
The Vikings enter the season expecting to continue their winning tradition after taking second in last year’s Central Coast Section Championship meet by only three points and repeating as Santa Clara Valley Athletic League champions for the seventh consecutive time.
Paly returns with a strong roster, capped by CCS individual champions and record holders sophomore Jasmine Tosky and junior Sarah Liang. Last season, the team graduated only one senior who scored at CCS.
Head coach Danny Dye has been working the girls hard in practice and saw it pay off in the meet as the Vikings took first place in all events except for the 200-yard freestyle.
“I have been increasing yardage and shortening intervals,” Dye said. “It is getting them ready to learn how to swim when they are tired. I thought they did well considering all the yardage they have been doing.”
Seniors Claire Guo and Ashley Reese, two of four team captains, agreed that the girls have been swimming hard in practice.
“Our team has been working really hard over the past few weeks,” Guo said. “We’ve not only increased yardage but also added more morning practices to try to get in as much work as we can. Our meet last weekend was a great way to start off the season.”
Dye also noted that the leadership of seniors has been key in practice.
“They have been leading the team in practice,” Dye said. “They are doing what upperclassmen are supposed to do.”
The Vikings started off the meet strong by taking first and second place in the 200-yard medley relay with times of 1 minute and 56.42 seconds and 2:00.23 respectively, both CCS qualifying cuts. Sophomore Margaret Wenzlau, who placed fifth at CCS last year in the 100-yard butterfly took first in the 200-yard individual medley in 2:13.38. Freshman Molly Zebker, swimming in her first meet for Paly, took first in the 100-yard butterfly with a quick time of 1:01.14.
The 500-yard freestyle was dominated by Paly swimmers who took the top three spots, with sophomore Rachelle Holmgren taking first in a CCS qualifying time of 5:33.41. The Vikings took first in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a CCS time of 1:45.31 and sophomore Skylar Dorosin won the 100-yard backstroke in 1:04.51, just under the CCS qualifying mark. Sophomores Laura Cui and Madeline Berger went one-two in the 100-yard breaststroke, clocking CCS times of 1:11.25 and 1:12.40 respectively.
In the final relay of the day, Palo Alto showed its strength by sweeping the 400-yard freestyle relay, with each relay qualifying for CCS. The “A” relay took first with a time of 3:53.12.
Paly showed remarkable depth in its weekend victory as there were numerous key swimmers missing due to club swimming commitments. Tosky, Liang, and juniors Paige Devine and Sabrina Lee, who placed in CCS last year, did not swim in the meet.
With the league season fast approaching, Dye believes that the girls are prepared for their competition.
“We stack up well against everyone and we have good depth,” Dye said. “We are one of the top four teams in CCS. This team is dedicated and hardworking and one of my favorite to coach. In league, Monta Vista has become a rival in the last four years and Gunn is always a rival. In CCS our competition will be against Mitty, Monta Vista, and Saint Francis.”
Dye has once again set his sights on an eighth consecutive league championship and a CCS crown, and the girls want nothing less.
“After our close second place to Mitty last year at CCS, we are definitely working to come back this year and win CCS,” Guo said. “We also want to win Leagues for the eighth year in a row. We are really excited for the rest of the season.”