The Carlmont varsity girls swim team continued their strong season with a dominant victory over the Mills Vikings on Tuesday, April 15, improving to 5-1 in league competition and building momentum ahead of the postseason.
The Scots, who have now notched wins over Aragon, San Mateo, Sequoia, Hillsdale, and Mills, showcased a deep roster and key individual performances throughout the meet. From start to finish, Carlmont controlled the scoreboard, taking first place in nearly every event.
Senior Ivory Miller stood out with a Central Coast Section qualifying swim in the 200-yard freestyle and a solid showing in the 500-yard freestyle, while freshman Lila Malloy punched her first ticket to CCS with a strong swim in the 100-yard butterfly.
“Ivory stood out,” said sophomore Alia Bock. “She’s been aiming for that two free cut, and she had a pretty decent 500 free as well.”
Carlmont head coach Derek Koo highlighted the importance of maintaining variety late in the season, especially for swimmers who have already qualified for CCS.
“With so many meets in a short amount of time, I try to avoid event burnout,” Koo said. “For swimmers who already have their CCS cuts, I like to give them some liberty to try different events just to keep things fresh.”
Among those adapting to new races was freshman Louise Scherrer, who Koo praised as one of the team’s most versatile and reliable athletes.
“I didn’t put her in her major event,” Koo said. “She’s already qualified in every event she’s swam, so I put her in other races to help her teammates out. She’s an awesome team player.”
Despite some strong swims from Mills, including an impressive outing by senior Angelina Camasco, the Vikings struggled to match the Scots’ depth across the board.
“Mills has some very fast people,” Bock said. “But they don’t have as many club swimmers as we do, so they just don’t have enough speed to cover all the events.”
Senior Darcy Winters, who has been limited to freestyle and breaststroke events due to injury, pointed to team chemistry as a driving force behind the Scots’ success.
“We’re all tired, but we’re really motivated,” Winters said. “The coaches are amazing, and the vibe on the team is just great.”
With the Peninsula Athletic League standings tightening, Carlmont’s next meet carries significant playoff implications. The Scots will look to build on their recent success as they prepare for a potential showdown with Menlo-Atherton, which has been the only team to hand them a loss so far this season.
“We’ve got a tricky battle ahead,” Koo said. “But I think we’re in a good place heading into championships.”
