The Oak Park High School swim team entered the season with confidence. Returning talent, new swimmers and years of growing chemistry had the team prepared to compete at a higher level than ever before. Now, after months of training and competition, the Eagles are closing out the season with personal records, school records and lasting memories.

“I felt quite a bit of pressure… knowing this could be my last ever swim with this amazing team,” senior captain Jerry Jin said.

That pressure paid off. The team excelled at the elite Mt. San Antonio Aquatic Center. 

“As for my personal goals, just beat my best time and hopefully engrave my name in the school record books,” Jin said.

That goal quickly became a reality. During prelims, Jin swam a personal record and set the school record in the 100 backstroke, marking one of the biggest accomplishments of his swimming career.

The success reflected not only individual preparation, but also the culture the team has built over the past several seasons. Throughout the year, swimmers consistently emphasized the supportive atmosphere that helped push teammates to improve while still enjoying the sport.

“Looking back over these four years, I attribute all of my successes to my teammates who pushed me harder in races and offered their trust and confidence in me leading as the captain,” Jin said.

Head coach Calley Prezzano has emphasized teamwork and encouragement throughout the season, helping both experienced swimmers and newcomers develop confidence in and out of the pool. That environment became especially important this year as many underclassmen joined the program and learned from teammates.

“I was really excited because we had a pretty full team going this year, so the energy was really good,” junior Jennie Wang said. 

After struggling for years with the 100-yard breaststroke, she finally hit a personal record. The girls’ relay team also dominated, placing second in the 4×50 freestyle relay and seventh in the medley. 

“We placed seventh overall out of the 80 D3 teams, which is pretty good considering we only had four girls there,” Wang noted.

Even as the season comes to a close, the bonds formed within the program will continue. 

“I will very much miss every one of my good friends,” Jin said. 

Wang agreed, adding, “I’ll definitely miss our seniors… but I’m excited to see how far we can go next season.”

With school records broken and another season completed, the OPHS swim team leaves the year proud of both its competitive growth and the strong friendships built along the way.

The teams CIF journey continues in a second meet.