Off the Deep End with the Girls Swim Captains

Co-Captain

Name: Eliza Knapp

Grade: 12

Height: 5’4’’

Hair Color: Brown

Eye Color: Brown

DOB: May 14, 2004

Co-Captain

Name: Alina Dufenyuk

Grade: 12

Height: 5’4”

Hair Color: Blonde

Eye Color: Blue

DOB: May 28, 2004

1. How long have you been on the Stuyvesant swimming team?

E: Since freshman year.

A: Four years, since freshman year.

2. What strokes do you specialize in? What techniques are involved?

E: I swim mostly butterfly and freestyle. They are both the strokes that involve the least amount of actual technique. You kind of just pull and hope for the best.

A: I swim mostly freestyle––specifically the 500 Free. The techniques involve moving my arms through the water and keeping the same pace.

3. What inspired you to join the swimming team? What motivated you to continue to lead this team?

E: I was inspired to join the swim team because I liked swimming and my friend from my swim team outside of school loved it and said it was the best part of high school. Throughout Stuy, I have had so much fun cheering on teammates and racing not just for myself, but for the team. I was motivated to continue to lead the team because I wanted to continue to create the same atmosphere that the seniors created for me and my teammates each year.

A: I wanted to join the swim team to further pursue my interest in the sport and to be involved in a high school team. As soon as I saw how inviting and genuinely interesting the team was during my freshman year, I knew I had to join. Over the years I grew a love for the team and it became my safe space, so wanting a leadership position in it just made sense.

4. From your years on the swimming team, do you have a most memorable moment/experience?

E: My most memorable moment was last Friday when some of the girls came over to make a poster for our coach to put up at the final meet this weekend. We spent way too much time finding and cutting out funny pictures of him and decorating them with butterflies, princesses, and sparkles.

A: Some of the most memorable moments I can remember are winning against Brooklyn Tech my sophomore year because we were considered underdogs the entire season and crushed them in the finals, as well as making A Champs posters for both my team members and Coach Zhu last Friday.

5. What is your strategy for constantly improving yourself (specific routines, drills, etc.)?

E: My strategy for constantly improving myself is to try to convince myself that I genuinely enjoy the pain of swim practice. Also, during the off-season, I go to club practices so that I can keep competing even though our school team isn’t.

A: Continuously dedicating myself to our grueling practices as well as feeling an obligation to do the best I can for the sake of the team. I personally did a lot of long-distance practices which involved swimming thousands of yards and learning to keep my pace.

6. What’s one of the biggest obstacles you’ve faced while on the swim team?

E: One of the biggest obstacles I’ve faced is trying to balance my outside-of-school swim team, where I need to be present at practices multiple times a week, while also coming every day after school to Stuy practices. Also, the seasons are different so when we taper at school practices, we are not doing the same at club team practices which means that after the school season I have to work really hard to get back into shape.

A: Having a torn meniscus and choosing to swim through it to give our team a better chance at getting to playoffs. Additionally, learning to balance the Stuy workload with daily classes was also a challenge but it taught me how to manage my time and prioritize work above all else.

7. How do you think the Stuyvesant swimming team has changed you as a swimmer/person?

E: It has made me understand how much more fun swimming for high school is because it’s not about the times, it’s about racing the people next to you in the moment. I feel like I swim my best races during high school swimming when I just want to beat the person next to me and am not just racing against my own personal best.

A: It gave me perspective on what it means to be part of the team. I learned how to bond with my teammates and make lasting relationships that went beyond our season. Also, I learned the importance of having a good work, practice, and social life balance. The team has definitely made me a better person in terms of both my academics and physical abilities and I couldn't be more grateful.

8. Funniest teammate?

E: Alina

A: Carla

9. Favorite drink?

E: Spicy Water

A: Peach Margarita and pool water

10. Favorite food?

E: Tacos

A: Pierogi

11. Favorite class?

E: Geometry

A: AP Environmental Science

12. Favorite movie/TV show?

E: “The Devil Wears Prada”

A: “Good Will Hunting” and “Naruto Shippuden”

13. Hobbies besides sports?

E: Playing piano

A: Watching anime and art