Before the boys’ and girls’ swimming tri-meet against Woodside and Hillsdale High School on Thursday, March 19, head coach Stephanie Lee said she knew her team was good. But she only discovered how dominant they were until after the meet.
“That they can compete, that they deserve a spot at the block, and that they can swim fast,” Lee said.
After two years of gym construction prevented the team from competing on their home turf, the swimmers finally got their chance to shine. This year, Burlingame competes in tri-meets, a new type of meet where three schools race against each other simultaneously. Thursday was not only the second time Burlingame hosted a tri-meet, but also one of the team’s first home meets in years.
The girls defeated Hillsdale but fell to Woodside, leading the team to 4-1 in league play. According to Lee, Woodside is typically a powerhouse in swimming, making them a difficult opponent, especially for an early-season meet.
“Woodside has some pretty fast swimmers… they usually finish top 3 in the PALs,” Lee said. “… They’re always going to be a challenge, but they’re a really good challenge to have.”
The boys’ team, on the other hand, is currently 1-4 in league play and fell to both Woodside and Hillsdale. Lee attributed their struggles to the increasing competition in swimming across other schools.
“Boys’ swimming has gotten really competitive, and I think other schools have gotten a little more competitive than we have,” Lee said. “And so I’m hoping that we’ll finish out the season with a little bit of hard work.”
Despite the mixed outcome, swimmers were able to use their home pool for meets, which has not been an opportunity for them in past seasons. Senior Catherine Kwong said the home meet gave the players a leg up, especially because of the excellent conditions of their pool.
“It’s really exciting. We’re so fortunate to be able to have one of the best pools in the district,” Kwong said. “So it’s really nice to be able to have more meets at our home pool.”
Though it’s early in the season, several swimmers have already impressed with individual performances. Freshman Kayla Chang earned a Central Coast Section (CCS) qualification, and junior Alexa Chang qualified for CCS in every event she swam in.
Looking ahead, the team faces Menlo-Atherton and Carlmont High School, both of whom usually finish in the top three in Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) meets. Lee said the matchups will be difficult, but they will give the team a taste of what PALs will be like.
“We’re gonna have some pretty tough meets coming up, but also really good preparation for PALs at the end of the month,” Lee said.
