After a near-perfect season, the Lexington High School girls varsity swim team is on the road to the sectional tournaments on Nov. 3. Teams from around the Boston area come together to compete for a chance at the tournament, and with eight wins and only one loss, the team is determined to bring a title home.

The LHS girls varsity swim team has competed at sectionals for many seasons. The team placed tenth last year with 336.71 points. The swimmers are optimistic about their chances at this difficult meet.

“It’s been amazing. We have such a lovely group of girls this year, and we’ve been doing really well at meets,” Ivy Chatterjee, senior and co-captain, said.

This season’s team consists of 30 swimmers, including four captains. As fall sport athletes, they began training right as school started. While their practice schedule does depend on when meets are, they train on most days of a week, with practices lasting an hour and a half. “We just get in, we do a warm-up, then we’ll do our main set, and at the end of practice we spend a little bit of time working on our turns and dives,” Kimaya Bhangle, senior and co-captain, said.

Practices and meets can be difficult. However, the team’s hard work has led to a season of success. The team has won against many schools in neighboring towns, including Arlington, Burlington, and Winchester. They will face some of these teams again at sectionals. 

While the swim season may be grueling, the LHS girls varsity team finds ways to have fun, including developing a routine before most meets. This routine includes snacks on the bus, music from the team playlist (with Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Frank Ocean, and other hits), pom poms, and team cheers.

Despite the competitive aspect of swimming as a sport, the team is very supportive of each other. This support has created a helpful, competitive, and enjoyable community. 

“My favorite thing is definitely the community. Everyone is so lovely and supportive. When I was a freshman, I got so much guidance from the seniors, and now, as a senior, I love being that mentor for the younger girls on the team,” Chatterjee said. 

The players are united by their shared love for swimming and the welcoming community they have become a part of. They encourage anyone who is thinking about trying out to go for it. 

“The risk that you take for trying out for the team is nothing compared to the community that you have the chance of being a part of if you make the team. Swim season is one of my favorite times of school, just because everyone is so nice and so supportive. You really become a family over the course of a couple months,” Bhangle said.