With the long-awaited Denis R. Paul Aquatic Center finally settled under the roof of Diamond Bar High School, the Brahma swim team will begin its season by hosting a pentathlon event on Feb. 18.
The pentathlon competition is an annual event in which all the high schools in the Hacienda league come together to get an idea of what competition will be like during swim season.
“It’s kind of like one of those pre-competitions that show an athlete who you’re going up against,” senior Matthew Sia, captain of Boys’ Varsity Swim, stated.
Fifteen swimmers from each school, 10 members from the varsity team and the top five from the junior varsity team, will be competing in five events: a 50 yard butterfly, 50 yd. backstroke, 50 yd. breaststroke, 50 yd. freestyle and a 100 yd. individual medley, which consists of one lap of each stroke. Time will not be recorded for the pre-season competition as the event doesn’t count as an actual meet. Instead, swimmers will have the chance to interact with the best athletes in the league and socialize with swimmers from other high schools before the season begins.
“The Pentathlon was started three years ago by the coaches of the Hacienda League. It was designed as both a “get to know you” social swim event for the kids, and an opportunity for coaches to establish “baseline” times for the upcoming swim season,” former swim coach Patrick Murphy shared.
To the Brahma swimmers, the casual meet is not only a get-go to start preparing themselves for the upcoming, competitive season, but also a time to practice before every last second on the timer will count.
“This is the only meet where varsity gets to swim shorter distances, [which] they usually don’t get to swim in normal races. Everything’s a sprint,” Co-captain of the Girls’ Varsity Swim Team senior Vivian Sun commented.