The high-school season may have ended, but freshman Sophia Fetouh conditioning continues.

“I still practice with [my club team] the Rockets,” Fetouh said. “I like to  make sure I stay in shape and don’t add time to my strokes.”

Sophomore swimmer Nicole Riopelle also continues to practice.

“I have a lot of pressure on me to always be in shape because I am considered one of the best on the team, so I’m always practicing,” Riopelle said. “I enjoy practicing though. It gives me structure and makes me feel good about myself.”

Senior Ram Marana, however, will not be joining Riopelle.

“I’m not going to be here next year to swim and I’m not swimming in college, so I don’t really see a purpose in me continuing to swim,” Marana said. “I just go to the gym to keep in shape. I enjoyed swimming this year however.”

Coach Rebecca Matoska said she thinks it’s important for swimmers to keep up conditioning even after the official swim season is over.

“Obviously it is the swimmers’ personal choice if they practice off season, however I think practicing year-round has a very positive impact on performance,” Matoska said. “At the beginning of the year, I can always tell who kept practicing because their times don’t increase. However, those who didn’t tend to gain a few extra seconds. And in the sport of swimming, a few extra seconds can be the difference between winning and losing.”

By Arabella Belcher