After a long summer wait, fall sports have finally arrived at Neuqua. There is no better way to kick off the beginning of the season than a fun intersquad meet between the Girls Swim and Dive Team. The team is split down the middle and divided into the Gold Team and Blue Team, with some unusual events being run, like the 150 and 300 freestyle and the 100 medley relay. The first meet of the season is the Wildcat Invite on Saturday, and hopes are high for another repeat of the 1st place they scored last season.

Given that this is the first “normal” season since 2019, in which COVID-19 protocols are not as strict, the team and coaches are excited about the opportunities for the girls to swim, and hopefully the girls can score some points at the high school state meet at the end of the season, happening on November 11th and 12th.

Head varsity coach Jason Niforatos is especially excited about the season. Although 13 seniors will leave at the end of this year, he is still hopeful about the season and the future to come. “We now have the opportunity to put the pandemic behind us and let the kids have more fun.”

The girls had a monster season last year, with a second-place finish at DVC conference, often regarded as one of the most competitive conferences in the state. Along with that, they tied for second at the sectionals meet with Rosary, and weren’t far behind Oswego East, the first place finishers. To cap off the amazing season, they sent an 11-person squad to FMC for the state championships, with the girls sending two finalists back for the final races of the season.

With the powerhouse girls from the 2018 and 2019 season off and swimming at some of the best colleges in the country, their legacy still shines on the pool deck, with the record board and flags all over the deck showcasing the slew of achievements,

Although the season can be short, with a large majority of the girls ending their season at the conference level (making for just a 10-week season), the bonds created last for a lifetime, with the girls spending lots of time in and out of the water together. “The team bonding creates much more chemistry between the girls and allows them to not take things too seriously,” Niforatos says. Good luck to the girls and the rest of the fall sports this season.