The girls swim team is eager to transition from club to school competitions as the winter season looms. 

Teams close to home threaten to edge past GHS this season.

“Whiteland is our biggest competitor because they’re just very similar to us in their abilities and what they can do; they are good at motivating themselves and their teammates to swim better,” junior Anne Chrisman said. 

The Woodmen have a small team compared to others in the Mid-State conference, causing the girls to be weak in certain areas. Compared to Center Grove, their team is about half the size. GHS is expected to have 12 swimmers, the same number as last year.

“Center Grove has a very strong-built team; they are very well-rounded in every event, making them score very well,” sophomore Emme Lewallen said. 

Specifically, GHS has very few divers. The number of points scored at a meet is limited. GHS is expected to have three divers this season. 

“Whiteland does not have very many divers, which is one of their weaknesses, but they are similar to Greenwood in that way,” senior Maria Mears said. 

The girls will need to keep their mental game strong to outcompete better teams. 

“We really need to stay positive and work as hard as we can to get in that competitive mindset. We need to be ready to race even though it is not always under the best circumstances, especially after we have had a bad race,” Lewallen said. 

Performance is not everything when it comes to the success of the team. Participation and energy from teammates can determine the outcome of the season. 

“One thing that we could really focus on is team building. It is really challenging to want to keep showing up to the practices, especially with morning practices and extremely long, hard hours,” Mears said. 

The team plans to increase positive energy to improve their performance from last year.

“We really need to boost our morale. In the past, we have not had the energy that we should, and if we act more positively, it will show in our performance,” Chrisman said. 

Greenwood Gators club swim is coming to an end, and their hard work during the summer will show in their winter performance.

“Our preseason consists of just showing up to club practices and attending Friday morning practices,” Lewallen said.

The combination of talented new additions to the team and increased team positivity suggests a winning season is ahead.  

“We are going to do pretty good this year as a team; we definitely have a lot more divers, so I think we’re going to place a little better than past years,” Mears said.