Natalia Rivera Banuet / The SWC Sun
POOLING THEIR TALENTS—A new pool and aquatics complex is helping Southwestern build a competitive swim program. The swim team competed in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference finals.
By Noah Garcia & Arath Carrillo
Sometimes the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
Sometimes it’s the other way around.
Southwestern College swimmers are trying to rally both mind and body as they compete in the
SoCal Regional Championships and Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Championships. Head coach Steve Wiggs and assistant Stuart Sokil spent the season trying to build consistency and endurance, said Wiggs.
Illwya Rangel, in her first semester competing in swimming, said her coaches have done an excellent job getting the team ready for its spring showdowns.
“I’m excited,” she said. “I know we have a good team. There are a lot of experienced athletes that have a great commitment to the sport and they’ve been performing amazingly.”
Even though she is relatively new to the sport, Rangel will be an important cog in the Aqua Jaguars’ competitiveness.
“I feel like I have a lot of responsibility to add to the team,” she said. “I’m trying my best to stay consistent with the practices and also perfect my technique because I’m an amateur, honestly, but I’ll try my best.”
Rangel also noted that the team practices consistently throughout the week, with additional optional morning sessions that allow swimmers to get in added work.
“I show up as much as I can,” Rangel said. “I invested lots of my time here for my confidence and my mental health, and also to be part of the athletic community.”
Rangel will compete in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle. Competing at this level is nerve-racking but fun, she said.
“Sometimes my heart is racing,” she said. “It’s going to be my first time starting from the block, so I’m a little scared, but I’ll give it a shot. That’s what I’m here for.”
Teammate Sebastián Cadena is a more experienced swimmer with years of water polo on his resume.
“Swimming is a great way to stay in shape and for physical activity,” he said. “It helps you grow as a person.”
Cadena said the Jaguars are ready to make a splash.
“I feel the preparation has been excellent, and I think we’re ready to perform well,” he said. “I think the teamwork we have is very good.”
Cadena said his main motivation is to help the team win the conference.
“My other goals are to improve myself and beat my previous times,” he said.
Aslan Lofthus also brings experience to the team.
“The thing about swimming is it’s both an individual and a team sport,” he said “You’re swimming your own race and going for your own time, but we’re always supporting each other.”
Lofthus said the team’s training schedule plays an important role in preparing athletes for competition.
“For most of the year we practiced Monday through Friday, with optional morning practices,” he said. “We typically practice from 4:15 p.m. to 6:15, so about two-hour practices.”
Lofthus admitted that competitive swimming can be draining.
“People get fatigued throughout the season,” he said. “Our bodies recover, but sometimes when our mind is tired, our body doesn’t want to cooperate.”
Lofthus said he will get his mind and body firing together when it is time to compete. He said he has had help along the way.
“I’m thankful for my parents and my coaches,” he said. “They have supported me since I was a kid and helped me get to where I am today.”
Perhaps to the medal stand.
