Back in the Swim of Things

During their 2021 season, the Penguins, Stuyvesant’s girls’ varsity swimming and diving team, showcased an impressive season, making it all the way to city finals against Brooklyn Tech’s Sharks. Despite coming up short of the title, the Penguins were not dispirited. This season, they are back for blood, working harder than ever to become the 2022 PSAL champions.

Even though the Penguins lost only four seniors this year, their roster has changed drastically. The Penguins have welcomed four new freshmen to the team, while also strategically narrowing down their roster from 35 to 28 total swimmers. Despite these considerable changes, they continue to grow stronger as a tight-knit group, but not without an appreciable effort made by senior co-captains Caitlin Wong, Linsey Wong, and Liana Wu, as well as Coach Alan Zhu. “From the onset, our goal was to make the team closer, because we felt a little bit of a disconnect, and I think we’ve been doing pretty well,” Caitlin Wong said.

Linsey Wong also recognized the efforts put in by the rest of the team. “Everyone makes time out of their busy schedules to come to practice and to hang out after practice. I think just together, we all have a very strong mindset, and we bring each other up,” she said.

The team chemistry that the Penguins have been cultivating this season has not gone unnoticed. During all three of their meets so far, the Penguins’ team spirit and support for one another allowed their contagious positive energy to radiate.

The Penguins have claimed three for three victories so far this season, defeating LaGuardia, Bronx Science, and Hunter. At their first meet, the Penguins won with a total of 48 points against LaGuardia’s 35. The team set a good precedent for the season, placing both first and second in every event. Despite their overwhelming victory, the Penguins continue to work as hard as ever. “I think our practices have been really good,” Linsey Wong said.

“I feel like we’re getting a lot more serious, and we’re ready to win,” Caitlin Wong said.

The Penguins’ hard work was on display at their next two meets when they defeated Bronx Science 53-38 and Hunter 57-44. Though the Penguins knew that Bronx Science would bring competition, their team spirit was not shaken. The overwhelming support from the sidelines and impressive effort in the water continued to propel them forward, earning them the first place finish in every event.

Senior diver Daria Minhas also continues to put on an impressive performance for the judges. This year, Minhas is the only diver of the Penguins, but the pressure expected to come with this role does not seem to have phased them. Across their three meets, Minhas has continued to top their previous scores, wowing the judges as well as spectators with each dive. “I’m really grateful that this year, I’m not as rushed, as I had extreme difficulty with consistency last year, and now, all of my scores have been pretty consistent,” Minhas said. Even though it is just their second year diving, Minhas is confident in their progress. “Last year, I placed third in the city,” they said. “This year, I am shooting for first, because my difficulty scores on my dives are higher, so I can score higher overall.”

With their grand start to the 2022 season, the Penguins have only one thing in mind: winning. “We want to win. We won freshman year, and I think it would be really nice if we could sandwich it our senior year,” Linsey Wong said.

The Penguins’ three captains continue to work hard to make this season a memorable one for the team. “We want to leave a legacy. We want people on the team to remember this year as the best year,” Wu said. With this mindset, the Penguins are looking to make a splash this season.