Bloomington High School South, The Gothic, 2016, Page 79

Description:	The pool goes silent as the swimmers take theirstarting position. The buzzer rings out and thecompetitors dive off of the platform and start flyingthrough the water.Although they were a dominating force this year,the Bloomington South swimmers and divers did notget too comfortable in their pursuit. Junior MatthewJerden, an experienced competitor, admitted that thestart of a race always affected him. Im usually alittle nervous before I step on the block, Jerden said.The nerves kept the athletes focused andhelped them to achieve goals that seemedunattainable. The girls team earned a conference winfor the first time in 19 years. It was a really greatexperience because we have a tough rivalry againstColumbus North [High School], junior CelinaGerman said. Finally, we figured out how tostrategize in order to be the best at that meet. Thegirls also defeated Center Grove High School after a20 year gap while the boys went undefeated duringthe regular season.While the athletes regretted saying goodbye toan iconic season, they looked forward to their famousseason-ending traditions. The boys team returned toBubs Burgers and the Big Ugly hamburger. Alwaysthe goal, the swimmers attempted to finish the mealto earn a photo on the wall of the restaurant. Theyalso carried out the tradition of bleaching their hair.Some girls joined the boys in changing their hair,though for many, the bleach was replaced with purpledye. The girls team also enjoyed a meal together, andfor senior Maggie Gates, this one was bittersweet.At conference and sectionals, we [the divers] usuallygo out to lunch afterwards.Even with all the fun the team had together,their talent and determination was the driving forcebehind their success this season.SARAH BROWNAthketics7^*
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-bloomsouth/id/9715
Collection:	Bloomington High School South

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