By Alexia Poloski – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law girls swim team is halfway through the season and is led by captains Gianna Gagliardi, Sarah Bagdasarian, and Christina Ayala.

The swim team began their season in early September and meet every day for practice. The captains have many goals they hope to accomplish this year.

“This year I hope to have a bunch of state qualifiers and SCC finalists,” senior captain Gianna Gagliardi said. “I also hope that everyone has a fun and enjoyable time while on the team because fun is the most important thing.” 

Gagliardi has been swimming her whole life. She joined the Law swim team her freshman year and has been doing it ever since. Gagliardi has made states by accomplishing the 200 freestyle. 

“I swam for my whole life, I joined Law girls swim my freshman year and I never would have thought I would have accomplished so much,” Gagliardi said. 

The team doesn’t just bond together with swimming, they also host weekly pasta parties as a team bonding exercise. 

“Everyone’s friends with everyone,” senior captain Sarah Bagdasarian said. “There’s not really any toxic part of swimming, everyone is a team.”

Ayala has been swimming since she was eight. She joined the Law swim team when she was a freshman. She also is extremely passionate about being captain.

“I like that as captain I can help my coaches and individual teammates when they need,” Ayala said. “I like being there for the girls in a different way, it feels more helpful”

Bagdasarian has been swimming competitively since she was in seventh grade. She enjoys being captain for the leadership role. She believes being captain means to be a role model for the other swimmers.

“Being a captain just means to be a helpful person for the coach but also to the team because we could understand the team on a more personal level because we are with them,” Bagdasarian said. 

The captains welcomed new swimmers by going to Starbucks and Dockside for team bonding.

“They are extremely welcoming people,” freshman Aislyn McKernan said. “They are always hyping me up when I’m nervous about events or really anything like practice or meets.”

New members of the team hope to become captains one day because the captains inspire them so much. 

“The whole atmosphere of law swimming is so happy and welcoming so I would like to contribute to creating that same environment for the younger swimmers in the future,” freshmen Avery Oliveira said.