The Diamond Bar swim team has faced some early-season hurdles.. With not only the pandemic and social distancing policies to worry about as the team returns to in-person practices,  head coach Darlys Ankeny abruptly left the team at the beginning of the month. 

Because of the drive between  her club team and DBHS, the longtime coach decided to quit coaching at  DBHS. Students weren’t happy to see her go, but think that the new coach is doing a great job.

“We honestly felt pretty sad to see her go, but if it was her choice and if it was necessary then we fully supported the move,” sophomore Joshua Jenkins said. 

As a temporary solution, assistant coach Isabelle Cheng is leading the team. Interviews for a new head coach have begun  and until one is decided on, Cheng will remain in charge.

“My opinion on the new coach is that she’s great but she’s gonna have to learn a few more things on how to run competitions… as of right now though, everything is up in the air,” sophomore Kirsten Boyle said.

For swim, social distancing policies are a little lax and masks are worn once swimmers are outside of the pool. The amount of people allocated per lane has also been reduced in order to follow regulations.

“During practice, there are about 2-4 people per lane that split into two groups with one group on each side of the pool,”  junior Kate Li said.

There is no indication of when swim meets will take place and when the team will return to competition. But until the day comes, the team practices daily as preparation.