The Woodgrove swim team is on a hot streak. Under the coaching of Tami Carlow, Ben Piliere and assistant coach Sam McClellan, the team went 5-0 overall this season, defeating Tuscarora, Park View, Loudoun County, and Dominion, and Broad Run. The boys team went 3-2 with their two losses coming from Dominion and Broad Run, and the girls team had a perfect 5-0 season. In contrast, last year’s swim team went 2-5 overall the entire season, with the boys going 1-6. Sophomore Logan Rand explains, “It’s a lot of fun being on a winning streak. I feel like the environment on the team is even more exciting than usual and just a lot more fun. Last year we did not win many meets, so to be on a winning streak is so much more fun and a lot better than last year,”      

This newfound success can be attributed to a more complete roster and a switch to the 4A athletic conference. A high school swim team is allowed a maximum roster size of 50 total swimmers, 25 of them guys and 25 of them girls. Last year, Woodgrove only had 15 guys and 23 girls. This was a severe disadvantage because with so few swimmers, and a maximum of four events per person, the boys had less swimmers in races and even had to forfeit certain events. This year, there are 22 boys and a full 25 girls contributing to the team’s higher scores. The other cause of this winning streak is the drop of Woodgrove from a 5A school to a 4A sized school. This means that unlike last year, Woodgrove did not have to face juggernaut swim teams like Independence, Riverside, and Briar Woods, improving their overall record.

After the conclusion of the regular season, a select number of swimmers attended the district, regional, and state meets. At these meets, the girls team ended up winning districts and regionals. Several Woodgrove swimmers have made the state cut times, with some swimmers even making the cut time for several different events. It will be a long time before the swimmers forget this magical season.