“Ready to rock? Ready to roll!” This is the cheer the GA Swimming & Diving team chanted about two hours before they swept the Inter-Ac to win the league title.
Say hello to the newest Inter-Ac champions! GA girls easily won their last dual meet against the Agnes Irwin School to secure the Inter-Ac league title with an impressive undefeated season, scoring 7-0. The GA boys’ team also won their last dual meet in a close competition against the Haverford School, to secure the Inter-Ac league title with an undefeated season, scoring 6-0.
This Inter-Ac win is especially important since both boys’ and girls’ teams won the title. The GA girls’ varsity swim team hasn’t won the title since the 2014-2015 season, and the boys haven’t won since the 2011-2012 season.
The swim team’s impressive achievements include the wins at the Inter-Ac Invitational at Episcopal Academy on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2022, where the girls’ and boys’ teams won their meets with a combined score of 295 points. The girls set seven new pool records at EA and the boys set five. The diving Inter-Ac Invitational took place on the same day at GA. Adding to GA aquatic’s successes, Libby Brewer ‘25 clutched first place, Laurel DePolo ‘25 placed second, and Molly Thompson ‘22 placed sixth. The boys also had success with Brendan Hodgens ‘24 placing third and Asher Sasson ‘23 placing fourth.
The Patriots’ success so far has not been easy. Karly Boles ‘25 accounts how it wasn’t just easy to win– they had to put in lots of hard work: “It’s challenging doing six mornings a week.”
Not only was their win due to hard work, freshman Emily Hamill ‘25 stated, it was also the “team culture.” She adds, “It’s the atmosphere that the team creates at every swim meet. They are always loud and always cheering for every teammate. We are always engaged in the meet.”
Despite winning the Inter-Ac, that is not the end goal for the Patriots. Senior captain Jack Maketa explains: “This season, I along with the team, had our eyes on an Inter-Ac championship, as well as some pool and school records, but the main thing remains the main thing… Easterns. Of course, I have personal goals for the meet but above those I want our team to take home the 1st place bowl.” Not only does he have these goals for the 2021-2022 season, looking forward to next year, he hopes to “Make the biggest and best difference on Yale’s team that I can. Not only by bringing in points, but by contributing to the growing team culture and developing close relationships with my new coaches.”
With the Inter-Ac title under their belt, the Patriots have their eyes set on the Easterns Championship. Head swimming coach Jeff Thompson says, “February 26th is the goal.” With all their hard work and their close team culture, the Patriots remain optimistic about the near future. With a little over a week heading into their championship meet, “Ready to rock? Ready to roll!” can already be heard echoing the deck of Franklin & Marshall’s pool in Lancaster, PA.