The Sacred Hearts Academy swim team wrapped up the season honoring senior members Eden Soxpollard and Aureanna Vendiola.
Soxpollard, who has been on the team since her freshman year, enjoys the 100-meter freestyle event.
“My favorite event is the 100-meter freestyle because I recently got my best time,” said Soxpollard, referring to a 1:31 finish. “It felt amazing that all the time and energy I put into swimming paid off.”
Soxpollard enjoyed the senior night, in which teams honor senior teammates at the end of the season. Soxpollard said it was the season’s highlight for her, as she celebrated with her family and teammates.
“It was very fun, and I feel good about ending my final season on a high note,” she said. Soxpollard has been swimming for the Academy’s team since her freshman year.
Vendiola has been on the Lancer team for six years, beginning in the seventh grade. Before swimming with the Academy, she participated in the Splash Aquatics Swim Club but took a four-year hiatus.
“I started swimming when I was five, (but) as a child, I never liked swimming,” she said. “I only wanted to swim at the beach or (be) with my friends and play games.”
Her favorite event is the 200-meter individual medley, which consists of all the swimming strokes, including butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle. She also enjoys the 100-meter fly, where competitors race in a butterfly stroke for 100 meters.
“I picked those events in tenth grade to challenge myself physically and mentally,” Vendiola said.
Her favorite part of the season was watching her teammates grow to love swimming. They inspired her to be held accountable. Although this will be her last year swimming as a Lancer, she said she will forever be proud of her teammates and herself for the amazing season they had with each other.
“I have strengthened and connected my bond with the other girls on the team,” she said.
Vendiola does not plan to continue swimming in college. Instead, she hopes to major in forensic science at the University of Hawaii at Manoa or the University of Las Vegas.
Soxpollard hopes to go to the University of Vermont and major in political science or a major that involves history. She wants to continue swimming in college but not competitively.
“If I were to join a team, then it would be because I need a way to stay active as an adult,” she said. “I can just do laps at the pool, but I’d rather do those laps with people who understand me.”
