The Carlmont JV girls swim team was narrowly defeated by the Menlo-Atherton Bears, 94-92, in a hard-fought away meet on April 2.
From the opening events, the Scots came out strong, setting a competitive tone with fast times. Their early momentum helped them build an advantage. However, the Bears responded in the second half of the meet, chipping away at Carlmont’s lead before completing the comeback in the final events.
Even as the score tightened, the Scots’ energy never faltered. Teammates lined the pool deck, cheering loudly for every race. Sophomore Saaz Ghate won three of her races: the 200-meter medley relay, the 200-meter freestyle, and the 400-meter freestyle relay.
“To mentally prepare for a meet, I always try to visualize myself and my team winning,” Ghate said.
The winning mindset played an important role in the team’s strong start. In swimming, success often depends just as much on mental preparation as physical ability.
“I always try to let go of my nerves by listening to music or talking with my friends,” Ghate said.
Beyond the mental side, the sport is also very physically demanding, pushing athletes to perform through exhaustion.
“When I’m racing, everything hurts, but you have to keep your head down and focus,” said teammate Ananya Jain.
Jain competed in the 200-meter medley relay, 50-meter butterfly, 200-meter freestyle relay, and the 100-meter breaststroke. Throughout the meet, the Scots remained fully engaged, constantly supporting one another from the sidelines. Still, Ghate believes confidence is one area the team can continue to improve.
“We can improve by having more confidence in ourselves. I feel like we lack that right now, including myself,” Ghate said.
Although swimming is often viewed as an individual sport, Carlmont’s team culture stands out for its strong unity and support.
“I think a lot of our team spirit has to do with one of our coaches, Mr. Kelly. He’s a big fan of team spirit,” said swimmer Hila Dremer.
Dremer is in her second year of swimming for Carlmont. She competed in the 200-meter medley relay, 50-meter butterfly, 50-meter breaststroke, and the 200-meter freestyle relay.
The team’s preparation leading up to the meets also plays a major role in their performances.
“Preparing for a meet is a cumulitive time period, it’s not just one thing. Before a meet, we typically focus on turns to try to drop time,” said coach Ulla Foehr.
Knowing Menlo-Atherton would be one of the tougher teams in the league, the Scots entered the meet expecting a close score.
“I pick a good time that I want, similar to a goal to accomplish, and try reaching it by doing whatever I can,” Ghate said.
