The Swim-Pressive Senior Night
Honoring Maclay’s Senior Swim Student-Athletes
Maclay School keeps a tradition year after year to celebrate the seniors and their accomplishments. For every sport, they dedicate one of the last home games to the seniors. On Sept. 27, 2023, the senior night swim meet took place at five p.m. at the Maclay pool. Competing against Chiles, Maclay Swim’s rival team, the competitors worked as hard as they could to beat them.
The senior competitors, including Bella Ekk, Kaitlyn Guyer, Hanson Higdon, Parker Lambert and Sara Mnookin, all participated during the meet and took the night very seriously. After getting results, the team was satisfied with their times and placings.
“I think we did pretty well,” Guyer said. “Before the meet, our coach told us to have fun, and focus on our relays because they [Chiles] are really strong this year.”
The talent doesn't just appear from nothing. Behind the scenes, the swimmers work incredibly hard, practicing for numerous hours a day before and after school to prepare for their meets. The energy and compatibility of the swim team encourage the competitors to get through all the hours of practice and do their best all the time. The team cheers and shouts for one another, motivating each other to finish strong and Ekk recognizes the team's success due to their tight bond.
“[My favorite part about swimming is] the culture because everyone is so supportive,” Ekk said.
Not only do the swimmers love their sport, but they strongly appreciate the friendships it has created for them.
“It is a lot more hype this year because everyone has gotten to know each other better,” Guyer said. “We have a lot of club swimmers from my club, so we all are already friends.”
The athletes cherished their senior night event and are thankful to everyone who showed up to the meet. There, big cut-out frames of the seniors' faces were held by their friends or family as a way to support them. An hour into the event, the announcer stopped the meet to dedicate time to take notice of the future 2024 graduates. The senior swimmers walked up and took pictures with their families while the announcer talked about their high school accomplishments to honor them.
“[My favorite part was] the presentation where I got to walk with my family and tell everybody what my plans are for the future and kind of how I’ve grown as a swimmer,” Guyer said.
The senior night swim meet brought tears to many friends and families and while their high school journey is coming to an end, the seniors will soon enter a brand new chapter of their lives. Maclay did a fantastic job of honoring and celebrating how far the student-athletes have come which greatly brought the Maclay community together.
The next swim meet will be away on Oct. 5, 2023, against PK Young in Gainesville. Maclay will host their final home meet on Oct. 11, 2023, and it will be a dual meet against Florida High and Rickards.
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