Backstroke. Breaststroke. Butterfly. Freestyle. All of these strokes were put to the test at the 3A Swimming State Championship, where the Juan Diego swimmers splashed in the water among Utah’s top teams, reaching new school records and being recognized for individual performances chanted along by an ecstatic crowd at the BYU pool.

To start off, the Juan Diego girls team minutely led the 200 Medley Relay, where they tied with Judge Memorial with a time of 1:59.18, not only beating Juan Diego’s record of 2:00.69 that upheld for 17 years, but also earning gold on the (albeit crowded) podium. 

Lyla Sylvia, the butterfly swimmer in the Medley Relay and a freshman at Juan Diego, admitted that “I was just proud of our efforts. We were all really out of breath and really happy. We were crying. It was a lot of fun and a lot of excitement,” showing the overall energy of the team as they defied new limits that Juan Diego had never before touched.

The 200 Medley Boys’ Relay also earned their place on the podium by winning bronze with a time of 1:46.59, setting the excitement for the rest of the day’s events.

Additionally, in accordance with a time of 2:13.40 winning her gold in the 200 Individual Medley Relay and for her breastroke time in the 200 Medley Relay, Junior Audrey Weller was awarded the Swimmer of the Year trophy, bringing pride to both her coaches and team members. 

Weller commented that “I didn’t know it was an award, actually. They were announcing the Swimmer of the Year Award, and they asked me to go on the bulkheads to accept the trophy and then it was kind of surprising honestly. I felt happy that my own coach gave it to me too and I was just happy that they had chosen me for that award.”

Moving away from the water, the fellow swim members who didn’t get a chance to dive got to drive the team towards their victories through their immeasurable support. 

Ariella Nelson, a breastroker and a Freshman at Juan Diego, claimed that “during state you could really see how close the team was. We cheered each other on and helped each other out when things were rough,” exemplifying that records are not beaten alone without the aid of one’s fellow team members.

Sylvia also mentioned that “everyone is so supportive; whether you’re swimming at state or not, everyone is here to cheer for you, to watch, to just be there for you; it’s a great atmosphere and it’s a great thing to be a part of.” So, whether you’re brand new to the pool or have never even set foot on the diving board in swimming competitions, the Juan Diego Swim Team can never be outmatched when it comes to embracing new people with various skill sets and making them feel a part of the bigger picture beyond the lane ropes of the pool. 

Overall, with a collection of dedicated kids and the support and supervision of Coach John Moran, the 2022 State Championship will be an event to remember in the hearts of the swimmers and their families as the season comes to an end and the lasting memories that were created will push the swimmers towards another epic year.

Ariella summarized that “I really enjoyed being on the swim team. It is an amazing environment to make very close friends that will last you all throughout high school.”