The NC Warriors swim and dive team holds their first weeks of practice to prepare for a refreshing season. With a new head coach, Katey Gingles, the swim team gains experience with her coaching techniques and learning how to execute her lessons to the best of their abilities. Although this season stands as her first season at NC, Gingles expresses herself with confidence. With the help of assistant coach Hilary Armstrong, the team advances and prepares for time trials Friday, October 28 along with the relay meet Saturday, October 29.

“I think the swim season is going to go how it goes as it is. We have lots of great swimmers but with all the changes with all of the coaches, it is kind of working from the beginning and then growing it and challenging all of the swimmers and divers to do even better with their competitions and events. I do have a lot of faith in the team, as long as they work hard then it is going to show in the meets. I’m looking forward to the season and seeing what they can do,” Coach Gingles said.

Last year, the NC swim team lost 10 swimmers as the students graduated in 2022, which impacted the swim team heavily. Even though the team will miss their old swimmers, they gained numerous athletes to add to the roster. Coach Gingles works hard to make sure these new swimmers receive the focus they need to prepare for the time trial meet such as reminding her swimmers to practice flip turns along with perfecting their diving. Gingles and Armstrong enforce techniques like straightening streamlines, which applies to all strokes creating the least resistance possible while gliding through the water. 

The dive team typically receives new participants when each season starts, but the newbies do not practice with experienced divers, causing different practice hours. To prevent confusion, a number of practices result in a combination of new divers and veterans. Various new divers spend time learning all types of dives to partake in competing at meets. To participate in meets, a diver must learn a collective of six dives pertaining to the county’s rules. 

“Preparing for meets is strictly reliant on consistency. Once you get a dive down the goal is to do it so many times you cannot get it wrong. My goal is always to do three of each dive at practice and if time permits, come back to any I am struggling with. Sometimes people crack under pressure so practicing as if you are competing helps a ton with the nerves that also come with competing. I see this season going super well, and I’m beyond excited to be back in the pool. I’ve already gotten a couple of new dives and my goal is to place in the top 10 at state,” senior diver Jasmine Negron said.