Freshmen Files

Taylor Garcia

First Pac-12 Dual Meets 

I've been in Tucson for a little over 100 days now, and I feel as though I have been constantly changing and adapting to the foreign environment around me. It's really exciting to see how far I have come in every aspect of my life. Our UCLA and USC meet were the most intense experiences I've had since I have been here. I don't think I have ever felt so proud to be a part of something bigger than myself. Wearing the 'A' is such a great honor. Though we won against UCLA and had a close loss to USC, the team morale only got stronger. We have become even more driven than when we started, and that is something I truly appreciate. We are 20 plus women on a mission, and knowing that gives me the drive to keep going when I am tired. Proud to be a Wildcat!

BEARDOWN,

Tay

Mik Ranslem and Mackenzie Rumrill

UCLA and USC Dual Meets

On your mark, get set, GO WILDCATS!

The first weekend in November brought on a lot of racing in Tucson. Hillenbrand Aquatic Center was full of loving parents, family and anxious swimmers as the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans rolled into Tucson. The match-up was the same weekend as family weekend, so many families got to experience the excitement as the women and men opened their PAC-12 season.

Friday started with the girls swimming against UCLA. After a pre-meet dance party and pump-up talk, we marched up to the deck as a whole. A well-established goal was to 1-2 the Bruins on the first relay. After warm-ups, we gathered and did another cheer before the national anthem sounded. The two relays gathered behind the blocks and the whistle sounded. The men were on deck cheering loudly for us. A quick one minute and 40 seconds went by as the Wildcats' 'A' and 'B' teams out-touched the Bruins' relay. We had achieved our initial goal, but there was much more to come. The meet went along great as the Wildcats had many fantastic swims. The score remained in our favor. What really brought excitement across the deck was the last relay as Katrina Konopka, Paige Kremer, Annie Ochitwa and Taylor Schick represented the 'A' relay. After the first three legs, we were slightly behind, but leave it to Schick to bring it home. Close to nearly a body length behind, Tay brought the fire and sprinted past the UCLA anchor bringing the meet to a Wildcat win! The meet concluded with kind regards to the bruins and the traditional singing of “Bear Down Arizona” to the spectators. We spent time with our families and rested up for the next meet.

Saturday came sooner than expected as the Wildcats hit the pool at 7am for a shakeout swim. It was slightly chilly on deck, but the Wildcats were anxious to bring the heat. Later that morning, we gathered again to warm up and get in the pool. The meet opened up as usual with the sprint medley relay and a Wildcat win. The boys went on to 1-2 the Trojans in their relay. Things were off to a great start. The meet kept us on our toes as the score was neck and neck nearly the whole meet. It came down to the final relay where we needed a 1,3 finish to defeat the Trojans. After an intense relay, we got out-touched for first place by .05 of a second. Overall, the efforts put into the meet were amazing. Despite the loss, the team gathered together with smiles to have a lunch on deck with our families.

The meets against UCLA and USC showed the progress we have made throughout the season. The Wildcats are in a fantastic place, and are super excited to bear down in Texas!

Go Cats!

 Annie Ochitwa and Katrina Konopka

During the First Dual Meet

“HEY LADIES…YEAH???”  If you happen to hear these words walking past Hillenbrand Aquatic Center, you can be sure the Lady Wildcats are cheering each other on. We kicked off our first season with a win over Washington State and UNLV. Minds were racing and nerves were in full gear before our first collegiate meet. The only thing we knew for sure was to expect some fast racing and some insane competition, a whole different environment from club and high school swimming. As soon as the gun went off for the first race, everyone started to relax and our only focus was cheering on our teammates.  To watch one another race, we sit lining the pool with our feet dangling in the water, and the coaches screaming behind us.  We started off the meet with a 1-2 finish in the 200 medley relay for both the girls and the guys, and then carried our high energy into a string of 1-2 and 1-2-3 finishes. Everyone was having fun and in a great mood, because there is nothing more inspiring than watching your teammates throw down an awesome race. Collegiate meets have energy and excitement unlike anything we had experienced before. We can't wait to see what else our team can do this season. Keep calm and bear down!

XOXO,

Annie and Katrina

Emma McCarthy and Sarah Shimomura 

Team Bonding Event

Hello Freshman Files Followers!

A few weeks ago, we had a team bonding event hosted at Coach Brandy's house for the purpose of goal setting. Brandy divided us into six teams: white, red, blue, red-white-blue, black and pink. Before the goal setting commenced, we had a handful of activities we had to complete. Upon arrival, all the teams got together and had to sing the Arizona Fight Song. It took us a few tries to be able to do it in unison, but eventually we got it and were able to enter the house to proceed to the costume competition. Each team walked in separately and stood in front of a panel of judges that consisted of Brandy, her husband Phil, our team manager Nolan and little baby Collins. Sarah's team, the red team, won the dress up portion of it! We went on to do multiple competitions, including corn hole, ping pong, chubbie bunney and creative onesie making. After the main events, we had dinner and got started on our goal setting. We went into small groups with our cubbies to set and discuss our goals. We then sat in a circle and each of us told the group what we wanted to accomplish this season. Listening to everyone's goals allowed us to feed off of each other's energy and realize that we all want the same outcome. The energy in the room was undeniable, and it was apparent that we all were ready to put in the work that is necessary. Both of us being freshman, this was a truly inspiring experience for us. We can now say that we have never been in a room filled with more determined, tough and ambitious women. It made both of us more motivated than we ever had been before.

We're taking no prisoners in Texas! Time to Bear Down Cats!

Until next time,

Emma and Sarah

Ashley Sutherland and Daniela Georges

Pre-Meet Energy and Happenings

A rumble. Is that thunder? A roar? No, it's the Lady Wildcats and you could say they're cooking up a storm. The morning of the meet, there is a switch flicked on; a current runs through the whole team. Much like thunder strikes fear in the victims caught in its storm, the growls of the Lady Wildcats evoke fear deep within their competitors. The rising volume of the hidden voices intrigues the spectators as they search for the source of the rumble. Searching for the eye of the storm, they follow the shouts to the tunnel where 22 intense ladies are preparing to bear down, like a hurricane with no mercy. Suddenly, the voices cut off, and an eerie quiet fills the deck like the dreadful calm before the storm. Like clockwork, a lightning bolt flashes as the Cats jump into the first relay.

The storm intensifies and the Cats bring on the REIGN.

Dump on them, ladies!

XOXO,

Ashley and Daniela