With the Camas High School (CHS) winter sports season underway, the teams are looking to perform their best this season and to grow with their teammates.
The boys swim team has competed in several distant invitationals that have allowed them to go against teams that they would normally only encounter during the state championship.
“The [boys swim team] left Dec. 11 for [an invitational] at Olympia High School, which is great for them because they locally compete a lot. So, getting out of the area for them is a big deal,” CHS Associate Principal and Athletic Director Stephen Baranowski said.
“This year is a little different than other years, as we have planned several additional swim meets with teams from across the state who have challenged us at the state meet in the past,” CHS senior and boys swim captain Rafael Lavagnino said. “[We have done this] so that we can get an idea of our overall strength and where we need to prioritize our speed to maximize our points.”
The boys wrestling team is also participating in a non-local invitational, with theirs taking place in northern Idaho during winter break. Around five to seven wrestlers are expected to compete.
The girls basketball team is going to the Portland Interscholastic League (PIL) invitational over winter break and is playing teams from all around the country.
To be able to have their best showing in their respective competitions, the teams are working on their skills and collaborativeness.
“[For girls basketball] we want to make it as far as we can [this season, so we will do this] by getting better, practicing every day, and growing together on and off the court,” CHS junior Lauren Hood said. “[It requires us to be] always pushing ourselves every day in practice, like, competitively, and making everyone better. [On the court] we’re obviously all friends, but [we need] to also be competitive with each other.”
Lavagnino shared a similar perspective on what it is going to take for the boys swim team to improve throughout the season.
“As a team, we have mindset meetings every Monday to keep us on track. These get us extra information that our coach can’t always give us at 6 a.m. at the pool,” Lavagnino said. “Additionally, we split into focus groups for different strokes and specialties so that we get the most out of our shorter practices.”
While performance is important, building relationships remains a key part of the sports experience.
“Overall, I want to have fun with my friends and encourage the next generation of Camas swimmers,” Lavagnino said.
“We have a really good group of seniors, so it’s their last year, and we want to have fun with them,” Hood said.
Since their seasons are interrupted by breaks, it is important for them to keep training throughout the break, but also spend time with their families during the holiday season.
“I would just encourage athletes to have a really good holiday season while balancing sports and just having a good family time,” Baranowski said. “It’s really tough for winter athletes who have Thanksgiving, winter break, and now mid-winter break, all in their season. They miss out on a lot of what other kids do, so [they need to] get those moments with their family and have fun.”
