The middle school swim team took home the win at the Pacific Basin League [PBL] Championship on Oct. 27. The team claimed the championship with 242 points, 70 points ahead of second place winner Crossroads. This is the fifth time a middle school swim team has won the PBL title in the past seven years, according to coach Stephanie Ferri.

This year’s swim season was unusually short due to Archer’s late start to the school year, with the team swimming in total of three swim meets and the championship. It spanned six weeks compared to last year’s seven-week long season.

Ferri said that the shorter season was not ideal, but with hour and a half long practices on Thursdays, the team was able to stay productive and catch up. However, Ferri said she wished there was enough time to teach less experienced swimmers strokes like butterfly and backstroke.

“I feel like [the short season]  hasn’t hurt us competitively, but maybe [has hurt us] in building more well-rounded swimmers,” she said. “[In practice,] it’s mainly been focusing on good races, good finishes, good dives and sportsmanship.”

Eighth grader Lucy Brodsky said that she thought practices allowed her to hone her skills and contributed to the team’s success.

“I have really been enjoying going to the practices and getting the coaching,” she said. “I’ve found it really valuable and I think it’s made me a better swimmer.”

The team’s “enthusiastic” energy helped the girls bond and support one another, Brodsky said.

“It’s…sweet when people go to the end of the lane in groups and cheer them on; it’s a really nice bonding experience,” she said. 

Seventh grader Amelia Hines said that she valued the energetic atmosphere at the final meet.

“Everyone was there and cheering for Archer,” she said. “It was a great experience to be a part of that team.”