With the month of December finally starting, winter sports begin along with it. On December 10th, the Davenport West Boys Swim Team competed against United Township in ten different events. Despite United Township coming 1st in most of the events, West still managed to come back and beat them with a score of 85-62, earning them their first win since the season began.

“We did well against them, and everyone swam well. It’s always good to win. I just tell them sometimes, don’t think too much into it. It’s just you against your best time, and hopefully you’re not going to drown,” boys swim coach Kyle Verdon said.

The moments before a meet can be some of the most uneasy ones. Sometimes it is more important to focus on performing well than it is to focus on winning. This type of positive mindset is crucial when going into a potentially stressful meet. Athletes must remember that there will be challenges during meets, but that doesn’t mean they can’t overcome them.

“One of my challenges was probably trying to keep a good pace for the 500Y Freestyle,” sophomore Josh Harrington said.

Swimming is a sport that requires a lot of physical exertion, so sometimes swimmers face exhaustion during their meets. It’s important for athletes to train and get plenty of rest before meets to ensure they have enough energy to give it their all.

“Before meets I drink a lot of water, eat a good lunch, and get a lot of sleep,” junior Austin Hodges said.

Despite the few challenges and the strong competition, West kept a positive mindset through it all, only focusing on swimming their best. With this mindset, the team prevailed in succeeding to victory with a final score of 85-62.