Women’s swim completes deep playoff run

PHOTO: Members of the varsity women’s swim team pose after finishing 4th at the State Championships on May 11.

CREDIT: Bailey Paquette

By Luis Carvajal

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

Davis High’s women’s swim team finished 4th at the CIF State Championships following another season of intense practice, competition and camaraderie.

Junior Bailey Paquette was excited with the team’s placement and performance. She felt one of the factors contributing to its success was the community built throughout the season.

“I love the team. I feel like the girls really support each other inside and outside of the pool,” Paquette said.

Historically the women’s team has been outstanding, securing 2nd place at CIF State Championships the preceding spring. Competing from a pool of 87 schools, this places the current women in the top 5% of Californian teams, and last year’s in the top 3%.

“I’m proud of the team and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished this year,” Paquette said.

The women do not slow down in the offseason, attending morning and afternoon practices that swimmers often commute to Sacramento for.

“The summer schedule gets pretty intense, at least I’ve heard. This summer will be my first with DART,” Paquette said.

DART Swimming is one of two club swim teams that operate in Davis, the other being Davis AquaMonsters. The majority of swimmers found on both the men’s and women’s teams participate in one of the clubs, practicing year-round.

Swimmers from the two clubs don’t often swim together, only joining ranks for the various meets scheduled throughout the high school season.

“The swim meets that we are together, I feel that we’re brought together under one team, and it pushes us together,” Paquette said.

The season went swimmingly for all on the team, including junior Ava Portello who cited personal best times in both the 200 and 500 freestyle events.

“It’s just really exciting when something like that happens. To finally have that (best time) is a really great feeling,” Portello said.

For the upcoming year, Portello hopes to maintain the spirit of collaboration and friendship that helped foster her progression as an athlete. Portello felt she especially benefited from this attitude as an underclassman.

“We’re all friends with each other, and I really want to keep that going,” Portello said.