By Emily Seeburger, Staff Reporter

Ten years ago, the rest of the world was panicking about Y2K while ’Stoga students were learning their times tables in elementary school. 2000 was also the year in which the girls’ swimming team began to rack up its string of consecutive Central League titles. Ten years later, the team clinched its tenth straight championship, leaving behind a decade of team friendships, memorable moments, rivals, innumerable practice laps and of course, medals.

Several moments in particular stand out over the years. The first milestone for the team was winning its first Central League title, kick-starting the ten-year streak. Another such milestone was placing second at districts in 2007, arguably one of the team’s best performances in history.

“It was one of the most inspirational swims I have ever seen,” head coach Ron Kirkby said.

The team then went on to win districts in 2008, and claimed the honor of jumping into the pool, a tradition held for the winners every year.

“I remember us having so many incredible swims,” senior Rebecca Lawrence said. “At the end when we received our medals, we were that team that got to jump off the podium and into the water.”

To top it off, this season was the season in which ’Stoga won the Central League title for the tenth consecutive year, a feat that few teams in any sport have ever accomplished.

“I knew as a freshman that I was coming into a team with a huge legacy and a lot to live up to, but I never would have guessed that I would go four years without losing a high school meet,” senior Mary Bridget Kane said.

And with all the regular season meets over, Conestoga now continues through its postseason meets, putting in a strong showing at districts and looking forward to states as the year draws to a close. But with just six seniors leaving to graduation, next year’s team will have an open opportunity to continue Conestoga’s current streak.

“I’m not at all worried for next year’s team,” Lawrence said. “They’ve got the potential for greatness.”

Emily Seeburger can be reached at eseeburger@stoganews.com.

Printed originally on p. 21 of The Spoke’s Feb. 23, 2010 edition.

By Dolly Prabhu, Staff Reporter 

Arms pumping, legs kicking and hearts hammering: it’s how girls swimming practices, and it’s how girls swimming wins.  

Last year, the Conestoga girls’ swim team secured its ninth straight Central League championship, a remarkable end to an undefeated season. This year, the team looks to secure a decade of consecutive championships, an incredible feat for any high school team.  

“We have been Central League champions for nine years now…this year will be our tenth,” senior Rebecca Lawrence said with an unwavering certainty that is echoed by each of her fellow swimmers. 

And so far, they have no reason to be doubtful: this season already looks promising.

 “We have a strong group of girls that are willing to go the extra mile,” junior Caroline Kirkby said. 

As a highly individual sport, swimming is able to offer its individuals several opportunities to excel on their own. A flexible policy regarding practice attendance allows many girls on the team to attend longer, more rigorous club workouts instead of school practices, which holds a strong appeal for many of the athletes. But although individual strength has contributed greatly to the overall success of the team, another strong factor  is the variety of skill they possess as a whole: coming together to form a skillfully diverse stronghold for their season meets.

“[Last year] we had really strong swimmers in almost every event,” junior Emily Stevens said. “We perform well under pressure and always manage to come through as a team.”

The team’s future looks bright, and the girls aren’t afraid to admit it. However, their confident outlook is far from arrogant.  

“Last year we had some very close meets,” Stevens said. “It showed us that we still need to work hard to maintain our level of success.” 

All in all, the girls’ swim team seems to be an unstoppable force, its devotion and zeal stronger than ever. The girls are going for their tenth title, with only one obstacle left to deal with: the amount of available space on the trophy shelf. 

Dolly Prabhu can be reached at dprabhu@stoganews.com.

Printed originally on p. 21 of The Spoke’s Jan. 12, 2010 edition.