The Green Hope swim & dive team has secured a successful season, dominating the leaderboard. On Saturday, Jan. 21, the team competed in their last regular meet of the season. The SWAC Conference Championship at Triangle Aquatic Center (TAC) confirmed Green Hope’s spot in regionals, coming out victorious with a hard-earned first-place finish.
Green Hope swam against eight other teams, going against their toughest competitors: Apex Friendship and Green Level. Swimmers earned 928 points overall, the women’s team placing first in the conference and the men’s team following with second.
(Annabella Monge)
After warm-ups, there was a senior walk to commemorate the senior swimmers graduating. All schools present for the SWAC conference meet participated, congratulating the athletic achievement the seniors brought to the team throughout their high school careers. Class of 2024 lined up and received flowers, towels and food items. Green Hope had eight seniors congratulated including Brian Farrell, Sarah Pazokian, Lucas Kehn, Chloe Vestal, Landon Lloyd, Andie Quisumbing, Nicklaus Baugh and Levin Wu.
As well as the senior walk, all seniors from schools are represented throughout the poolside deck with a poster of themselves signed with their names. This is a tradition to do at the conference meet and adds to the school spirit. Before the competition started there were school chants led by the two men’s team captains and two women’s team captains: Lloyd, Farrell, Mia Jeltema (’25) and Mere Whelehan (‘25). “I think our team did so well at the conference meet because we maintained positive energy. We made sure we were cheering for everyone at the end of the lanes, supporting each other, and holding people accountable during the meet,” Jeltema states.
The team saw numerous successes in the past years, winning conference, regional and state championships, and swimmers are continuously striving to reach those goals again this season. Although the team consists of strong athletes, the successes are a result of experienced coaches as well. Jeltema says, “Coach Matt always makes sure he is watching every race and consistently giving feedback to every swimmer on our team.” Support from Head Coach Matt Mosher and Assistant Coach Claire White has aided the team immensely, pushing every swimmer to their best potential. Both Mosher and White are coaches at a club swim team, previously being swimmers as well.
Nola Meekins is a freshman on the women’s swim team, being one of the few earning a cut to regionals. “I am very excited to go to regionals for the first time. I can’t wait to race some of the best high school swimmers in the region and support other Green Hope swimmers. I’m hoping to get top six in the 500-yard freestyle or 100-yard backstroke, so I can help our team and represent Green Hope at States!” Meekins is preparing for intense postseason competition with the rest of the swimmers, heading to Greensboro Aquatic Center (GAC) for regionals.
Altogether, the meet was a triumphant success. “I think the best races were the relays, specifically both the men’s and the women’s A relay in the 4×100,” Jeltema states. The women’s 400-yard freestyle A relay consisted of athletes Kyley Lloyd (’26), Mere Whelehan, Sloane Whelehan (’27) and Quisumbing, and the men’s A relay consisted of athletes Lloyd, Farrell, Kehn and Dhaval Pant (’26). Meekins says, “Every swimmer put in the work throughout the high school season and it was great to see how it paid off. Go Falcons!”
