By Shannon Donahue
Staff Writer

Last Friday, December 4, Westford Academy’s swim team traveled to Sudbury to compete in their first “meet” of the season, the DCL Relays. This competition is not only for practice, but also for the many teams to meet their new swimmers, including the freshmen.

The WA Swim Team departed around 2:10, filled with both excitement and anticipation.

The Relays weren’t scored like other average meets, and provided the team and coaches with an introduction to the newest team members.

Although each heat of swimmers did receive a place (1st, 2nd, etc.), the end results were not scored to distinguish an overall winner.

Coach Caitlin Klick, who has been the head Girls’ Swim coach for the past six years, describes the Relays as “a fun meet […] it’s a great meet to kind of meet your freshmen”.

Boys’ Head Swim Coach, Harriet Kinnett, who was unable to attend the Relays, coaches alongside Klick.

Overall, Klick feels very good about this year’s team, and has confidence that the many freshmen will help to end the season with a record like last year’s team.

The 2008-2009 Girl’s Team finished last year with a 7-3 record; as for the Boys’ Team, they finished strong, with a record of 8-2.

As for improvement in the final records, Klick certainly believes that the Girls’ Team can improve on theirs.

She states, “On the girls’ side, we lost three key seniors, but we got a great group of freshmen girls, so they could even improve on their 7-3 record.”

On the contrary, Klick believes that because they graduated eight senior boys last year, and the Boys’ Team is fairly young, the team itself will have a hard time getting to that 8-2 record.

With their three toughest competitors up first, Wayland, Concord Carlisle, and Lincoln Sudbury, the WA Swim Team will have to continue practicing hard, both throughout the week, and even on Saturdays, for dry land.

Klick describes both teams as very hardworking, and as for how the season will go, she believes time will tell.