It’s an exciting time of the year as swim season has officially begun. John W North’s Swim Team dove into its 2024 spring season with a thrilling swim meet against Orange Vista High, setting the pace for what promises to be an exciting season.
The swim team at North is divided into two groups, the boys and the girls. The boy’s team had a close swim meet against Orange Vista High and won while the girl’s team fought hard but to no avail. However, this was only the beginning of North’s swim season.
North’s swim team is led by head coach Ryan Lopez and assistant coaches Abigail Tardie and Danny Casie. On top of that, the coaches have chosen three swimmers to take the position as swim captains. These three swim captains are Matthew Tarascio, Mae Sergeant, and Jordy Olivero.
It’s unfortunate that this year’s swim season only has three home meets at North, as the team will not have the advantage of competing in their familiar environment for most of their meets. Having the home pool advantage can be very beneficial, as it allows the athletes to feel more comfortable and confident in their surroundings. One advantage that is often overlooked by many people, but can be highly beneficial, is the potential to enhance swimming performance.
In a recent interview with student athlete Andy Garcia, he said, “Home meets are fun cause you’re used to the pool deck and there’s a comfortable feeling to it. Plus I get to see my parents and a lot of my friends which is always cool.”
The 2023 swim season was incredibly exciting, with seven talented athletes who advanced to CIF, which was held at Riverside Community College. The boy’s 400 Freestyle relay placed 5th at the CIF finals. The 4 boy relay team consisted of Matthew Tarascio (Sophomore), Clark Jones (Senior), Phoenix Joven (Sophomore), and Christian Avella (Senior).
On top of that Senior Lavi Vaipulu qualified for the 100-meter breaststroke back in 2021, 2022, and 2023. In 2021 Lavi Vaipulu broke North’s 100 breaststroke record and swam a 1:08.91 placing 2nd place in the girl’s Division 4 Southern Section CIF.
North’s swim team had a successful season last year and has now moved up in divisions from D4 to D3. This is a significant jump for the team and can be seen as a challenge, nonetheless, the team is up for it and ready to take on the new competition.
In an interview with captain Matthew Tarascio, he says, “We got a lot smaller of a team this year and the division jump up isn’t exactly the best for all the new guys we added but I see them every day working hard.”
North’s swim team still has a handful of swim meets ahead of them in which they can improve and work to qualify for CIF. Success can only be achieved if North’s swim team puts in the work and the time.
