Swim & Dive
Head Coach Corey Martin said boys swim & dive has had some minor setbacks this season but still remains a tight-knit group. Even though the swim team practices are at 5:15 a.m., and the dive team practices at 4:15 p.m., Martin said they manage to have fun and work hard on improving themselves.
Freshman swimmer Arman Alexander said that the team practices at Juanita High School with students from Bothell High School. Alexander said practicing with Bothell has its difficulties, but there’s nothing that can really be done as Juanita is the only school that has a pool within close proximity. Despite these difficulties, Alexander said he still focuses on the positives.
“Swimming is fun because you get to swim in the morning and get some exercise done without wasting the afternoon,” Alexander said. “It kind of [sucked] to get up at first, but I’ve gone to bed earlier and [have] gotten used to it. I’ve always come to practices with a competitive mindset. It’s really rewarding seeing my time drop.”
Freshman diver Noah Biddle said that diving is extremely difficult because he is the only from Inglemoor on a multi-school joint team that practices together but splits off at competitions.
“It’s weird because my teammates are all older than me. I mostly just have fun and hope for the best,” said Biddle. “Even though all the schools are practicing together, we’re facing off against each other. In events, points from swim and dive are combined, so it’s particularly difficult for the team because I have to make up all the points in dive. It’s very nerve racking. All the pressure for the diving side is on me.”
Martin said that he is always grateful to have any divers at all. He has many memories from teaching swim & dive, but his favorite has been watching all the athletes grow and improve.
“My favorite memory is just when I see someone accomplish that goal that they’ve worked so hard for, whether it’s at the state or district competition,” said Martin. “It’s their first year ever swimming competitively, and they’re there at 5:15 in the morning, grinding it out, and all of a sudden they drop 10 seconds in their 50 meter freestyle, or they break that goal, and they get so excited and you see that joy on their face. That just brings me joy, seeing their hard effort pay off.”
Martin has been coaching the swim & dive team for eight years, and he still sees new things happening. With a team size of 10 people, he said it is by far the smallest team he has coached, and it comes with both positives and negatives.
“We’re working on filling some of the races at events, and sometimes there’s a different energy when you have a larger team,” said Martin. “When you have a smaller team, the benefits are that they bond well together, always show up, work hard and they all know each other. This team kind of stands out. It’s unique. This will be sort of that building year, and we can get stronger after this.”
Wrestling
Head Coach David Muszynski said he took over for the wrestling team four years ago, coming to a very depleted program with only a few returning wrestlers. Despite its size of 17, the team still remains competitive playing a sport that they love.
Muszynski said that even though the athletes are young, they all work very hard and all really love the sport. The season started on Nov. 15, but the team has already formed a bond with each other and their coaches.
“I love coming back together as a team and seeing everyone growing and developing,” said senior wrestler Xander Alston. “The most memorable event was probably one of my matches at North Creek, because it was one of the hardest matches I’ve ever had. Even though I lost, it still felt very fulfilling because I knew I worked hard.”
Muszynski, who started wrestling in high school in 1993, was given the opportunity to assist the previous coach before him.
“If it’s in your blood, you like this sport, and I enjoyed being around it all the time. I learned so much from the previous coach over the years that it was just a natural progression to keep going and be a part of this program,” Muszynski said.
Muszynski said that he approaches everything with a positive attitude, knowing that wrestling is a tough sport that requires more than just physical strength.
“Discipline: You need it. You’re the only one out there, and it gives you the strength to be able to push yourself beyond where you think you can go in life. Not just in this sport, but anything,” said Muszynski. “Your mind will quit before your body and you have to know that, and you have to push yourself a lot harder than you think you ever could.”
Gymnastics
The girls gymnastics team consists of 11 members, with the majority being freshmen. Freshman Jackie Jones, who has been doing gymnastics since she was six years old, said that she looks forward to every practice. The team practices at Ascend Gymnastics in Woodinville Monday through Friday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., with occasional practices on Saturdays.
Their first meet was on Dec. 9 against North Creek High School and Woodinville High School, and the team spent every minute possible training and getting ready.
“We usually do three practice events where we focus on doing our routine and keeping our technique in check,” Jones said. “After we finish our routines, we usually go vaulting, but if we’ve already done so much work, we’ll go to conditioning, which helps improve our flexibility and control during the routines.”
Jones said a minor difference between the school team and her personal team is how techniques are taught. For example, spotting—where coaches physically assist the gymnast in safely completing a skill, ranging from telling the gymnast when to perform each skill to completely carrying them through the motion—is not a technique used on the school team. However, Jones said it is almost unnoticeable.
“A minor difference in teaching this sport doesn’t divert me from the amazing community behind it,” Jones said. “It’s all around a great atmosphere to be in.”
