The Warriors made history at Aggieland Invitation on Saturday, Nov. 9, dominating the competition at the Texas A&M Natatorium in College Station. The team’s day began at five in the morning and stretched out until midnight, as in between, the Warriors had to tough through preliminary and final rounds in a test of the swimmers’ endurance and skill.

The meet kicked off with an explosive start as the boys’ and girls’ medley relay teams shattered previous meet records, with the girls’ clocking in at 1:45.55 and the boys’ at 1:47.37. Both teams demolished Clear Creek’s meet record from 2019 and their own record from 2023.

“My favorite part of the meet was the medley relay, which was the very first event,” Nam Anh Truong ‘26 said. “I was super nervous for that just because it’s the very first event so it sets the tone for the rest of the meet. But it actually went really well because I got a personal best from my relay split and we ended up setting the meet record, which was really exciting.”

The day’s length and intensity tested the Warriors’ spirit, but the team stayed hyped throughout the preliminary rounds and finals. The extensive meet schedule allowed swimmers to show off their versatility across a variety of events, with many achieving personal bests despite the demanding competition and fatigue.

“We got up at five then we got on a charter bus down to College Station,” Sophia He ‘25 said. “And then we warmed up until the meet started at 10:30 a.m. which went on until around 9 p.m. at night because [of the] finals. But it was really fun, I feel like this was the first meet where our team really came together. Everyone was cheering for each other and it was a really special moment, especially since this was my last Aggieland meet.” 

Approaching the finals, the Warriors’ momentum continued to build as each event brought new achievements. Pushing themselves to exceed preliminary performances, each swimmer picked up their speed. Soon, the swimmers’ unwavering team spirit played a crucial role in maintaining energy levels throughout the extended competition. 

“My favorite event was probably the 500 free because I had a pretty good time in that and hearing everyone supporting me made me feel like I’m really part of the team,” Harrison Tater ‘27 said. “This is my second year at Aggieland so I’ve done this before but this is one of my favorite high school meets I’ve been to so far.”

The significance of the meet reached beyond just the competition itself, serving as a pivotal moment in the swim season’s progression. The presence of Westwood swim alumni from Texas A&M added an extra layer of motivation for the current Warriors.

“Aggieland is the longest meet that Westwood participates in all year and it’s also the first preliminary finals meet,” Raphael Wang ‘25 said. “I think it was a really good chance for the newer swimmers on the team to experience what Westwood swimming is really about and it was also really fun to see some of our alumni at A&M come watch us swim. Aggieland is the most high-energy atmosphere event we’ve had all year and we’re really hoping to carry that [energy] throughout the championships.”

The final results reflected the Warriors’ dominance throughout the day. The girls’ team accumulated a winning 286 points while the boys’ team totalled a monumental 417.50 points, far outpacing Georgetown’s boys’ score of 242.50 as runner-ups. 

“It was the meet we hoped to have. We really like to have a great midseason meet at a big meet like that,” Coach Matthew McBrearty said. “The energy was right and we were awesome. The most memorable thing would be breaking both the boys’ and girls’ meet records in the medley relay, that was really something. The biggest competition we faced was Georgetown and Cedar Park [High School], but at the end of the day, there was no competition. We were great.”

Claiming first place on the podium, the Warriors’ commanding performance at Aggieland set a strong precedent for the remainder of their season, demonstrating both their individual talents and collective strength as a team. Their next challenge awaits at the upcoming TISCA Meet on Friday, Nov. 22 at Mansfield ISD Aquatic Center.