After a narrow win of 165-150 against West Potomac High School on Jan. 8, the Jefferson Girls Swim and Dive Team also defeated John R. Lewis High School with a score of 226-57 on Jan. 9. The Boys Swim and Dive Team also had a successful first week, with a winning score of 215-100 against West Potomac and 226-47 against Lewis.

In past years, Swim and Dive competed once a week on Friday nights. However, due to the shortened winter sports season, the team now attends meets on Fridays and Saturdays. Although the swimmers are more fatigued, captain and senior Meghna Sharma believes that the team will still perform well.

“A lot of people, including myself, felt tired after the first meet. It’s difficult to swim that much, but most of us also participate in club swimming,” Sharma said. “I think our team is not only used to swimming a lot, but also great at rallying and staying positive.”

Another change this season is the separation of the boys team and the girls team. Previously, all of the Swim and Dive members practiced and competed together, but now the two teams swim at different times. Although this allows for smaller gatherings, it negatively impacts the team’s dynamic.

“We split the meets up by boys and girls, and it was less fun because we didn’t have the whole team together at the same time,” Sharma said.

One way that the captains are combatting lowered team spirit is through the Swimmer of the Meet award. Freshman Myles Carley, a recipient of the award, is very grateful that they are putting in additional effort to acknowledge team members.

“It’s nice that the captains and coaches are very involved with TJ Swim and Dive and that they’re willing to go the extra length to recognize the swimmers,” Carley said.

Although this season isn’t exactly what Carley pictured for his first year with Swim and Dive, he remains optimistic about swimming and growing closer with his teammates.

“I look forward to bonding more with the TJ Swim and Dive community, even though we’re separated because of the pandemic,” Carley said. “I’m also excited for future meets, and hopefully even districts and states.”