The Atoms Swim team is headed to districts following a successful season, with the Boys team taking a 4-2 finish. The Girl’s swim team kept it close in all their matches and came out with a few wins, finishing at 2-4. The Atoms hope to lock down the district and bring the championship home. 

The Atoms are coached by Head Coach Carmen Lucas, who has been leading the team for the past seven seasons, finding great success throughout. 

In preparation for the upcoming district and regional matches, Coach Lucas has been implementing a “structure of practices that give swimmers a mix of endurance and technique,” according to Senior Captain Colin McGee. According to McGee, this practice plan has been working since the team has had many swimmers drop times on a weekly basis, including some dropping 10 seconds in time. Dropping times like this for a swimmer is a huge accomplishment.  

From a swimmer’s standpoint, these practices “won’t be fun, but it’s worth it,” added Freshman Colton D’Ambrogi. Becoming a strong swimmer requires intense practice and training, which helps you build strength and endurance in the pool. 

During practice weeks, the Atoms have enjoyed team bonding on the bus to and from practice and meets. D’Ambrogi added, “My favorite part of the season has been the bus rides to and from meets. Everybody gets a little excited, and it is an incredible atmosphere.”

While the season is coming to a close, the Atoms were lucky to have seven returning swimmers chosen as team captains this year. “Returning as a captain has been a fun experience,” added McGee. 

This year’s Atom captains are Senior Colin McGee, Senior Mathew Munoz, Senior Trinity Thompkins, Senior Jana Russell, Senior Bridget Murray, Senior Morgan Milman, and Junior Finn Sample. These returning swimmers have been dedicated to the swim and dive program, encouraging them to push their team to a strong finish. 

At the beginning of this season, Coach Lucas and the captains set high goals for the team to strive for. The boys wanted to beat a rival team from Edison High School and improve from last year’s 3rd-place finish. The team is also striving to qualify for states in relay and individual events to try and bring a state trophy back to Annandale. The Atoms are so far on track to do so with regionals and states not too far away. 

On the Girl’s side of the lane, things have looked different than in the past with a smaller but still mighty team. The Lady Atoms focused on having fun and team bonding while trying to cut their times down and succeed in meets. “This year we have been putting an emphasis on team bonding, which has allowed us to come together as a team during a tough season,” added Sophomore Melanie Decareau. 

Similar to the boys’ team, the girls’ team set the personal goal of “having fun at every meet and swimming to our best abilities,” Decareau said. The girls have not strayed away from this goal, with team bonding at a peak this season. 

From the deep end of the pool, the Atoms Dive Team is pushing their season forward with Senior Captain Morgan Milman and Sophomore Anna Fitzgerald qualifying for regional competition. These divers have been working hard in practice and competing well in meets, leading to regional qualifications this year. 

As the season comes to an end and regional and state competitions heat up, the Atoms are staying motivated to finish strong for each other and reach personal achievements regardless of points and rankings. “This would be the best ending to a season filled with many battles along the way,” said Decareau. 

If you are interested in joining the Atoms Swim and Dive team next season, you can contact any current swimmer or Coach Lucas, and follow the Atoms on Instagram @atomsswimdive to follow them for the rest of the season!