Swim team sprints past competition

Shireen Kheradpey '11 sprints her heart out in the 100-meter breaststroke event. Photo by Bianca Bystrom.

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Kelia Cowan
April 15, 2009
Filed under Sports

The ‘Iolani swim team made a big splash in the pool this year.

The boys’ varsity team won the state championships while the girls’ team placed second in the meet on Feb. 14. 

The boys’ varsity team won the state championship with only eight swimmers entered.  Senior Geramiah Simoes said, “We used our strengths to our advantage.  Although we lacked the numbers, we succeeded because everyone exceeded what was expected.”

The 200 medley boys’ team, consisting of Ian White ’12, Kacy Johnson ’12, Geramiah Simoes ’09, and Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka ’09, broke the state record.  “We worked really hard and got what we wanted,” White remarked on the record-setting relay.

The junior varsity teams swept the Jan. 27 championships, where both the boys and girls teams won first place.  The girls’ intermediate swim team placed second in their championship meet.

As the season progressed, each team came together and supported one another.  Meetings were held during the weeks before each championship, and some of the elder swimmers inspired the less experienced ones to push themselves farther than they imagined. 

“Rayfe (Gaspar-Asaoka) gave a speech about losing both divisions of water polo by only one game.  He said we should work hard to win the swimming championships, and it really inspired and motivated me to do well,” Mark Grozen-Smith ’11 said.

Gaspar-Asaoka said that this year “was a good team effort. No single person won it for us.  My teammates inspired me to go the extra mile.”

As for the future, the returning swimmers expect an interesting year.  Courtney Lui ’10, a member of the girls’ varsity team, plans to go for the state title.  “We really want to win states next year.  We will always put in our best effort, and that’s all you can ask for.”