The girls swim team will be competing at Sectionals next Thursday at Franklin.

Junior Kelsey Smith, 50 meter freestyle, explained how the team is preparing for the meet.

“As a swimmer who had to sit the season out for a little bit, I can tell by watching them that the team has the drive and the focus that’ll help them perform really well at Sectionals. Tapering starts soon, which will help prepare ourselves to get the best times we can get,” Smith said.

Freshman Maria Mears, 100 meter freestyle, talked about how she is preparing for the meet.

“The coaches help us prepare not only physically but also mentally. They send us home with questions like ‘What can you do to meet your goal?’ which has been helping me the most. Thinking about what I would have to do to meet my goals helps me think about what I need to do to meet my goal,” Mears said.

The girls have high expectations for themselves to win make it to Sectional Finals.

“We are expecting not only effort but motivation from each other. It takes so much will power and determination to get up nearly every morning to practice and head straight to class, then back to the pool. But in the end, it benefits us in the water along with mentally making us tougher for the rest of the season,” Mears said.

Whiteland is GHS’s biggest competitor. The girls are preparing to beat them.

“Our team is way smaller than it was the previous years, and Whiteland’s team is way bigger than ours. We had very close times and scores every time we competed against them. This year we have to work extra hard in order to try and keep our third place spot at Sectionals,” Smith said.

Junior Hailey Peckinpaugh, 500 meter freestyle, wants to move on to State.

“There’s a solid chance of me winning the 500 meter freestyle, which means I would automatically move on to State. My other events are still up in the air,” Peckinpaugh said.

Every year, swimmers start taper two weeks before the meet.

“Taper really helps to get our bodies ready for Sectionals. We slowly decrease our yardage and work on breathing techniques which help us to keep our health in check,” Peckinpaugh said.