The swim team hosted their annual Orange and Black swim meet on Saturday, Sept 16. Like every year, their team is divided into two teams, Orange and Black, and compete against each other in the first meet of the season. However, this year the meet was also a teacher appreciation meet, with the potluck and senior recognition following the meet. During the week preceding the meet, students handed out invites and T-shirts that said “I love my Westwood Swimmer”  to their favorite teachers as an invitation to the meet, and 23 teachers showed up to the swim meet to show their support for the Warriors.

“I’m really excited about the prospect of teachers getting to see the students they normally see in classroom setting and now they get to go see what the students do what they’re really passionate about, what they really love,” assistant swim coach Franklin said. “We’re also using this swim meet to really raise the profile of the swim team at Westwood.”

Many swimmers became excited as they saw the first teachers walk in. At the end of the swim meet, Coach McBrearty announced the scores, with a win from the Black girl’s team and the Orange boy’s team. Overall, with combined scores, the Black team defeated the Orange team continuing their streak from last year.

“I’m pretty happy the Black team won,” Benji Truong ‘21 said. “But that was just a little friendly competition, in the end we’re all on the same team.”

Many swimmers train year-round, and even though this was the first meet of the season, most of the teammembers were already in shape and ready to race. The Orange and Black meet introduced the freshmen to their first high school meet, and many swimmers already on the swim team were excited to show the newbies how the meet works.

“I was looking forward to introducing the new freshman to the team dynamic and getting back in the pool with everyone,” Emma Greene ‘20 said. “Individually, I tried my best but didn’t go a best time, but as a team I think we really brought the effort and proved we’re a force to be reckoned with.”

Following the swim meet was a potluck and senior recognition. The parents of the seniors on the team talked about the journey of their children becoming young swimmers, then swimming in high school, and their plans for college.

“Senior year came faster than you’d think,” Catherine Li ‘18 said. “You think it’ll be so long before you’re up there with your parents but it came so fast.”

Unlike past years, the potluck and senior recognition took place on the same day of the Orange and Black meet. Swimmers were happy to end the day with heartwarming messages and stories from their parents.

“I don’t mind the potluck being the same every year because the Orange and Black teams are always different, the people are different, and all the stories are different,” Catherine Li ‘20 said. “Every year is unique and it’s always exciting and interesting.”

The Warriors will continue their season next week at the Round Rock District opener, Thursday, September 21.