Final Laps: A Senior Night to Remember

By: July Range

On Thursday, April 18th, Redwood Swim had their Senior Night. They recognized eight amazing swimmers who have been a vital part of the program.

Samantha Smith, ‘24, said senior night was an incredibly memorable experience. She says, “It was sad because I’ve been swimming since I was a kid and now I’m almost done.”

Smith says for senior night they did events that they normally don’t do. She says, “We all tried to make senior night as fun as possible without the stress of swimming, it was so fun.” 

Smith says when she started her relay for swim, her goggles fell off and she swam the whole race without goggles. She says, “I thought that was so funny because they fell to the bottom of the pool which made it a fun memory.”

Smith says that shes going to miss the family she got from swim the most. She says, “I grew up with these girls and I’m going to miss them all dearly.”

Clare Gonzales, ‘24, says senior night was, “Very bittersweet since it was our last league meet, but it was the best!”

Gonzales says her favorite part of Senior Night was hearing everyone’s graduation plans and where they’re going to college. 

Gonzales’s favorite memory from Redwood Swim was her freshman year on varsity before WYL. She says, “We dyed our hair and put temporary tattoos on. It was such a fun tradition that also started some of my closest friendships.”

Gonzales started swimming competitively in her freshmen year. She says that Redwood Swim has taught her many valuable lessons.

She says, “I learned that doing your personal best will help your team. As long as you work hard and focus on the little things, it’ll pay off not only for you but for everyone else on your team too.”

Alejandra Gutierrez, ‘24, says, “At first it didn’t feel like it was a big deal, but once they started calling all our names it suddenly hit me that my time as a redwood diver was almost over.”

Gutierrez favorite part of senior night was when her friends came with flowers and little signs with pictures of her face. She says, “It totally caught me off guard and I found it so hilarious.”

This is Gutierrez’s third year doing a Redwood dive and she loves it. She says, “Through dive, I have learned to challenge myself both physically and mentally.”

She adds, “It’s truly a difficult sport with a lot of mental blocks, but it’s all worth it because my practices are filled with laughter and joy thanks to my team.”

Gutierrez’s favorite Redwood dive memory is when she flopped on her back for the first time. She says, “I truly understood the pain of being a diver. The video evidence always gives me a good laugh as well.”

As Gutierrez leaves Redwood aquatics, she says, “For anyone considering diving, do it! This sport has truly made my high school experience 100 times better.”

Roamie Gailey, ’24, says senior night went well. She says, “Unfortunately I couldn’t swim because I got a concussion that week, but it was really fun to cheer on my team and support the other seniors.”

Gailey’s favorite part of the night was when she walked down with her family. She says, “It was so fun to be recognized and support my other senior friends.” 

Gailey’s favorite swim memory was all the pasta they would eat before swim meets. She says, “We all had pasta before EYL and all of the girls dyed our hair pink.”

Gailey has been swimming since her freshman year at Redwood. She says, “Swim is both a mental and physical sport and I’ve always struggled to get in the right mentality for a race.”

She adds, “But I feel like this season I have really worked on being more mentally prepared and believing in my abilities more.”

Marissa Mendoza, ’24, says, “Senior Night was so fun. It’s a pretty low-pressure meet as far as competition, so it was nice to enjoy ourselves.”

Mendoza’s favorite moment from Senior Night was taking pictures with her friends and family. She says, “It was nice to see all my friends and family support me one last time.”

Mendoza says her favorite memory was the seniors her freshmen year. She says, “Those seniors made a huge difference to me as an athlete.”

Being a part of Redwood swim, Mendoza has learned so much from her coach. She says, “I have learned to be a better teammate, athlete and I’ve learned to push myself more than I have in the past seasons.”

Logan Bailey, ‘24, says, “Senior night was great, I got to race some of my friends in my events, so it made it fun.”

Bailey’s favorite memory from Redwood Swim was during EYL, he says, “I got a 1:07.39 which was my fastest time in 100-yard backstroke yet.”

Through Redwood Swim, Bailey says, “I have learned to push myself and swim faster.”

Jillian Reng, ’24, says, “Senior night was so much fun! All my friends and family got to watch me PR in my last event ever.”

Reng’s favorite memory from swim was when all the girls dyed their hair pink. She says, “It was such a fun memory that I won’t forget.”

Reng has been swimming for three years and competitively since 5th grade and she says Redwood Swim has taught her a lot. She says, “I’ve learned the value of hard work and dedication and that I can go harder and faster than I thought I could.”

Luke Mueller says senior night went super well. He says, “So many people showed up to support us and it was so cool.”

Muellers favorite part of Senior night was just being with his teammates. He says, “We got to celebrate not only our accomplishments in swim but the fact that we’ve swam here for four years.”

Mueller says that his favorite parts of swim hasn’t been just the races, but the conversations in between races.

He says, “The conversations with my friends in between races were always fun and interesting.”

Being a part of Redwood Swim, Mueller says, “I have learned to value the work you put into something and the work that others have done.”

Donya Hassanshahi, ‘24, says that senior night was a momentous occasion. She says, “I feel like it alluded to the positive tone and environment of our swim community.” 

She adds, “It was definitely an unforgettable experience to be alongside people who constantly encourage me to be my best self.”

Swim senior night was the final meet before EYL, so Hassanshahi says many things stuck out to her.

She says, “From Karli’s candy salad to the bouquet she surprised me with, and also my teammate Mia and Coach Terry walked me because my parents were unable to attend. It was something that I’m grateful for.”

Hassanshahi says her favorite memory was the bus ride back from their Porterville meet this season, she says, “It was one of the very first Varsity league meets I attended, and the pressure was on. I loved the adrenaline rush of racing.”

Hassanshahi says that swim taught her the discipline she needed as an athlete and student. She says, “Swim is such a mental sport and I learned how to understand myself better as an individual.”

Hassanshahi says, “You never know until you try, just go for it despite the hesitation.”

Mitchell Dean, ‘24, says Senior Night was short lived, he says, “It came very quickly and before I realized it was over. It felt good to end on a good note winning and becoming undefeated league champs.”

Dean’s favorite part of the night was celebrating what he’s doing next in life, as well as others. 

He adds, “It was also fun to just celebrate the end of my high school sports with family and friends.”

Throughout Dean’s years of swim, he says, “My favorite memory was winning valley my sophomore year on varsity as well as the team dinners.”

Leaving redwood Swim, Dean says, “It takes everyone to be a great swim team. We encourage and push each other each practice and we all want to continue the winning legacy at Redwood.”

Tags: #athletics, #redwood, #sports, #swim