Woodside High School Swimming 2024 Season Preview (CA)

As another exciting high school swimming season approaches, all eyes are on the Woodside High School team. With a team of almost 70 swimmers, it's safe to say that this year's team is one of the biggest in the past decade. In this preview article, we sit down with Coach Stephanie Couch to get a closer look at the upcoming season for Woodside High. Coach Couch is confident that this year, the team will be able to field full lineups for each team, including JV boys, JV girls, varsity boys, and varsity girls. But more importantly, the goal is to build a team that not only gets faster, but to cultivate a love for swimming among its members. At Woodside High, there is no shortage of talent, with standout swimmers like junior Seth Collet, seniors Audrey Chung and Edana Huang leading the charge. Collet has already secured a full ride D1 scholarship to UCSB, while Huang and Chung will continue their swimming careers at UCSD and Brown University, respectively. But it's not just the experienced swimmers that are making waves at Woodside High. Coach Couch notes that there are many returning swimmers who have joined club teams in the off-season to improve their skills. Swimmers like Kate Stevenson, Maddie Prosper, Reese McCallum, Dana Reed, Kate O'Toole, and Maya Hristova all have their sights set on competing in the CCS championships this year. As for the incoming freshmen, Coach Couch is excited about the talent they bring to the team. Swimmers like Sophie Ley and Emerson Trefz for the girls and water polo players Peyton Stanford, Will Stevenson, and Audrey Wilson for the boys are poised to make a big impact. When it comes to choosing team captains, Coach Couch looks for mature leaders who can serve as role models for their teammates. She also values good lane leaders and swimmers with a strong work ethic and positive attitude. This year's captain choices include Owen Weibell, Julian Hull, Dana Reed, and Sophia Cancilla, who have all demonstrated these qualities. One of the big changes this season is having all swimmers attend high school practices regularly. This means that club swimmers are now training with their high school teams instead of just showing up once a week before a meet. Coach Couch believes that it will help build team unity and camaraderie, with swimmers getting to know each other better and supporting each other in their goals.