Feb. 9 marked the beginning of Legacy’s swim team regionals. Legacy sent 13 swimmers to regionals for relays and solo events. Junior Chandler Garrett stepped into the leadership role after many seniors left in the previous year.
“I feel like I have done a lot better than I did last year,” Garrett said. “ I feel like I’ve like found more of my spot on the team because last year we had like a bunch of seniors that were showing us like what to do, and this year is kind of different because this year I’m the leader.”
All season the swimmer’s schedule contained rigorous training for meets such as regionals.
“We practice Monday through Friday from 5:30 to about 7:30 a.m. and afternoon practices,” Garrett said. Which is it’s not easy, but you do what you have to do to get where you want to get.”
Leading up to regionals, the Broncos began tapering, essentially an easier and shorter practice to maintain energy for the swimmers. This allows them to perform better when it comes to the meet itself.
“As far as bigger meets like this go our practices get a lot easier. We get to sleep and a little bit more. The week of regionals they start at six instead of five,” Garrett said. “It’s just focus on a lot more speed, technique like you’re thinking more about the actual race instead of just like swimming just to get like the yardage [for practice], you’re more intentional with what you do.”
As far as bigger meets like this go our practices get a lot easier. We get to sleep and a little bit more. The week of regionals they start at six instead of five. It’s just focus on a lot more speed, technique like you’re thinking more about the actual race instead of just like swimming just to get like the yardage [for practice], you’re more intentional with what you do. — Chandler Garrett, 11
For regionals this year, freshman Calleigh Hooper brought a mascot for the swimmers to being up to the pool as representation for Legacy.
“This year, Calleigh bought us this Bronco which was really cool. The Broncos name is Bandit, and it has a hat and all that,” Garrett said “That was really cool because we’ve never done that before his first year to get that and like all the girls had hats with the year they graduate and their name on there.”
For Hooper, getting the Bronco for the team was a no-brainer.
“I did it because Mansfield and Lake Ridge had mascots and I felt left out, so I had to get something,” Hooper said.
Overall despite Legacy doing well, they only ended up having one swimmer advance to state. A couple of relays were close, but Hooper ended up being the only Bronco to advance to state.
“We all did really good. Our relays were fun and got close to the [school] record, but we didn’t get it. Our 200 medley, 200 free relay and our 400 free relay was good we’re good,” Hooper said. “ I ended up qualifying for state in the 200 IM and got called up for the 100 fly.”
