The smell of chlorine fills the air as the swimmers climb up the planks and prepare themselves for the race of the season. The energy and passion to win emitted from these athletes can be felt from a mile away, the ultimate showdown about to take place. Jacobs versus Huntley.

On Wednesday, Oct. 17, Huntley’s and Jacob’s JV and varsity swim teams faced off in a very tense battle to see who would take the victory in the Rakow Recreation Center. The relays first started at 4:30 p.m. sharp where varsity participated in the first race.

With all the vigorous training, loud cheers from teammates, and self preparation, Huntley successfully took the first relay and was leading in the meet. The races from then on were even more tense; each team having key players that made the difference in the competition.

However, though Jacobs seemed to have the upper hand in terms of points, they were not even close to the amount of spirit seen in Huntley’s team. The screams of encouragement and overall support each and every team member gave to each other was something out of a movie.

Though the bleachers were packed, it seemed that the true fans were the actual swimmers. This sense of teamwork and unity only intensified the whole competition, making every single race a critical moment at the meet.

The end seemed to be approaching near as the spectacular athletes were drying off, trying to catch their breath after putting their best effort in every stroke in the races.

Sadly, results came out that Huntley did lose this meet, but surprisingly kept up with Jacobs, who were one of the best swim teams in the conference.

The sound of loss might be heartbreaking for some, but Huntley only saw it as an opportunity to grow.

“Before the season ends, since I have been swimming the 100 fly and it is my favorite event, I really want to drop at least like 5 seconds from regular time,” said Megan Malibrian, JV swimmer.

The fact that the Huntley swimmers are already looking for ways to improve after a fierce competition is absolutely incredible; the hard work they inputted this season really being portrayed through this meet.

With this event being their second to last dual meet, Coach Gaudio has been preparing her swimmers for the upcoming conferences and it seems they are ready for almost anything.

“Our postseason where we have the JV conference on Friday, Nov. 2. And then we have the Varsity conference on that Saturday, Nov. 3. So I’m really looking forward to all the hard work the girls are putting into the pool towards the end of the season,” Gaudio said.

These girls have really put their all in every practice and meet and have truly shown their talent for this year. Now, they may have had some hard competition, but in two weeks, they will truly face the challenge they have all been waiting for. The Fox Valley Conference.