Sports

The Swimming Cougars

Taelyn Nordbrock, Reporter
August 29, 2022

Have you ever thought about joining the Sahuaro swim team? Sahuaro swim is a no cut sport. The meets are every Thursday, and practice is Monday-Friday. Swim is a good sport if you would like to be working on all your muscles like your shoulders, core, arms, etc. You don’t need much to be able to join the team. You will need to be able to swim 50 meters without stopping to breathe. Having goggles and a swim cap (if you have long hair), water bottle, towel, and swimsuits will count you eligible for Sahuaro swim.

The husband and wife coaching team – Jenny and Dave Kruszewski – are the two main coaches of the swim team. Dave and Jenny have both been coaches for a very long time – Dave for 25 years, and Jenny for 32. Dave is also our coach for soccer at Sahuaro. Jenny has wanted to be a swim coach ever since she was little. She said that her teacher had once asked them to do a drawing of what they wanted to be when they grew up – she had already been on a swim team at that age, and she drew a swim coach. Dave however, said that the truth was that Jenny convinced him into doing it. Dave’s favorite thing about being a swim coach is that he can watch and see the swimmers improve and progress. Jenny had a very similar thought on this, but she likes to see the improvement and maturity that teenagers get when becoming a swimmer at Sahuaro. Dave and Jenny had some motivational words for a new swimmer. Dave said “stick with it because it get easier as the time progresses” and Jenny said, “It’s supposed to be hard, but in 2 weeks it will get easier. If it’s hard you’re doing it right.”

They have one fundraiser every year called the Lap-a-Thon. Lap-a-Thon is when the swimmers swim for a complete hour; every lap they do raises the swim team money. The swimmers also get a prize, depending on how much they make. For example, if you get $30 donated from your laps, you can get a Sahuaro swim team T-shirt. Sahuaro has made the State championships on the boys swim team once in 1972 and the girls in 1982. They have also been runner-up, and 3rd place a couple times for boys and girls.