Woodside High School Swimming 2024 Season Preview(CA)

As the Woodside High School swim team gears up for the new season, Coach Stephanie Couch is optimistic about the potential and determination of her team. With a roster of close to 70 swimmers, this year’s team boasts one of the biggest groups in the past 10 years. According to Coach Couch, this is a key factor in the team's success, as it allows them to have a full lineup for each team, including JV boys, JV girls, varsity boys, and varsity girls. The team's main goal is to build a cohesive and passionate group of swimmers. Coach Couch believes that it is not just about achieving faster times, but also about instilling a love for the sport in her team. She explains, “Our goal is to build a team of swimmers, some of whom have never been on a swim team or competed, and help them not only to get faster but to love swimming!” Woodside has some exceptional talent on their team this year, including junior Seth Collet, and seniors Audrey Chung and Edana Huang. Collet has already committed to swim at the Division 1 level for UC Santa Barbara on a full scholarship, while Huang will be swimming for UC San Diego and Chung for Brown University. These swimmers serve as role models and inspirations for the rest of the team. In addition to these top swimmers, Woodside also has returning team members who have joined club swim teams to improve their skills. Coach Couch is excited to see the impact of their off-season training on the team’s performance this year. She specifically mentions Kate Stevenson, a swimmer going for CCS in the 100 Breast and 200 IM, as well as Maddie Prosper, Reese McCallum, Dana Reed, Kate O’Toole, and Maya Hristova, who have all made strides in their training. The incoming freshman class also looks promising, with talented swimmers such as Sophie Ley and Emerson Trefz on the girls’ team, and water polo players Peyton Stanford, Will Stevenson, and Audrey Wilson stepping up their swimming game. When it comes to choosing team captains, Coach Couch looks for individuals who possess leadership qualities and demonstrate commitment and dedication to the team.