On February 6th, the Madison Girls Swim Team, seeded 5th in the North 2 Group C tournament, faced Rutherford in the Quarterfinal round, falling to them with a score of 78-92. The following day, the Madison Boys Swim Team, also seeded 5th, lost to New Providence 79-91. While both teams’ seasons ended here, each put forth a strong effort and ended off on a high note. As a senior swim team member myself, it’s bittersweet to see the close of a great season, but looking back, I can confidently say this season was one of the best I’ve experienced (though I may be biased), full of team bonding and significant improvements.
The girls’ season finished with a record of 3-7, while the boys ended off 7-3. Both teams had a strong senior presence, the boys with 7, and the girls team having 11. Every swimmer showed remarkable growth throughout the season, dropping time and meeting personal goals, many of whom were non-club swimmers attending daily practices at the Madison YMCA. “It was such a privilege to swim at the Y mainly because it’s such a nice pool with clean spaces and a great environment,” said junior Cloe Flores. “I’m really grateful to have swam there, especially since it’s so close and Madison doesn’t have a pool of its own. I enjoyed partner drills the most. I’ll never forget the cheerful memories made during social kick!” Personally, I’ve come to appreciate practices, even when the sets were especially difficult (courtesy of Coach Coviello). Training alongside teammates held me accountable to do my best and also allowed me to encourage my peers to reach their full potential.
Over the course of the season, many school records were broken. In the meet against Kinnelon on January 9th, Jacques Chemaly, Anuthra Abeysinghe, Spencer Rosenbaum, and Kaden Chou set a new boys’ 200-yard medley relay record with a time of 1:43.07. At the final meet of the season, the same group of boys doubled down on this record, clocking in at 1:42.43. Captain Anuthra Abeysinghe broke several records this year, including the 50-meter freestyle (25.37), 100-meter breaststroke (1:07.02), and the 200-meter individual medley (2:14.81). “MadSwim has taught me how to be a great teammate,” notes Abeysinghe. “I’ll miss so much about MadSwim, but there’s no doubt I’ll miss the camaraderie with my teammates, as our team was incredibly tight-knit.”
One aspect of MadSwim that differentiates its culture from many other teams is its emphasis on team bonding. Through team dinners hosted by senior families almost every week and ‘Fun Fridays’ filled with games like Sharks and Minnows and fun relays, it was easy to foster a strong sense of community. Despite having over 70 members, our team was able to form close connections, rare for such a large group. “Our team dinners, which have activities from Just Dance tournaments to study sessions (often in the same room), really emphasize a core value of MadSwim: we don’t just know each other as swimmers,” says Captain Meredith McKeever. “We know each other as teammates, peers, and friends.”
It’s clear that Madison’s swim team is synonymous with family. As we enter the off season, there is excitement for the future of the team. Reflecting on the success of this season, Captain Layla Knoll hopes the team maintains its strong sense of unity and competitive edge. “I think this year the team really came together to support each other in ways that I hadn’t seen in my last couple years on the team. I hope that over the next seasons that sense of community can continue to grow,” she said. Her advice? “Just don’t take it too seriously! Swim is such a taxing sport physically and mentally, I’ve found that everyone swims their best and their hardest when they don’t take themselves so seriously.”
As I look back on my time with MadSwim, I recognize that the lessons I’ve learned and the friendships I’ve made extend far beyond the pool. I’m grateful to Coach Coviello and Coach Munoz for their strong dedication to the team and contagious spirit, to my teammates who pushed me to be my best, and to all the parents who supported us with fundraisers, organized an unforgettable senior night, and hosted countless team dinners. While our competitive season ended earlier than we’d hoped, the positive energy of this team continues to resonate. The future of MadSwim is bright, and I’m confident that the qualities exemplified this season will propel this program to new heights.