The MMS girls’ and boys’ swim teams, coached by Betsy Tiegan, ended their season last week with two wins.

They matched up against eight area schools: Solon, Kenston, Shaker, Orange, Warren, Beachwood, Westlake, and Lakewood. Practices began in October at the high school’s facilities, and matches were held once to twice weekly through November and early December. The season ended with the Lakewood Invitational on December 10.

The year’s most valuable swimmer awards went to Cassidy Feng and Luca Sgro, who holds the new school record for the fifty-yard backstroke at 30.78 seconds.

Riley Jones, Sam Stenroos, and Chloe Campbell-Lee earned Wildcat Awards for their dedication and sportsmanship.

When questioned as to why she wanted to be a swim coach, Betsy Tiegan answered,  “I enjoy working with kids, and I’ve been coaching since 2001. I love seeing kids who may not have been strong at the beginning of the season grow and have great success.” She also believes swimming is a good opportunity for teamwork, stating that athletes “realize how dependent everybody is on each other for success.”

Coach Tiegan recommends that a swimmer should train daily. “An hour and a half of practice is ideal, plus some dry land time. You gotta be dedicated and show up to practice, be on time, take the suggestions you’re given, and put in the work.”