Gaby Harris, asst. sports editor

The women’s swim team enters the upcoming season with eight freshmen joining the roster. The Vikings finished last season with a 5-6 record and look to improve with 17 swimmers on the roster. The team is led by second year Head Coach Zach Healy as he continues to build on the young roster made up of eight freshmen, seven sophomores, one junior and one senior.

“Our biggest goal is just to continue to improve, continue to recruit at a high level and keep chipping away at our place in the conference,” Healy said.

According to Healy, the freshmen have also brought a new positive energy to the team which can help them be more successful this season. When it comes to practice, the freshmen know how to have fun and bring light heartedness to hard practices, but they also work hard and are willing to learn from their veterans.

“Their positive attitude is definitely the biggest thing that they have brought to the table so far, it’s been really awesome,” Healy said.

According to freshman Val Williams, the upperclassman’s welcoming energy has made the transition easier. Williams is still adjusting to the differences between swimming in college and swimming in high school but noted that the upperclassmen have made the transition a lot smoother.

“The upperclassmen are really welcoming especially because I wasn’t very social in the beginning,” Williams said. “I definitely think their enthusiasm and outgoingness sped up the process of being comfortable with the team.”

Williams is most looking forward to competing with her teammates who are just as passionate about swimming as she is. She is also excited for the atmosphere that comes with being on a college team and competing in meets.

“I’m with people that genuinely care about the sport, and they also want to succeed in the ways that I want to succeed,” Williams said. “They aren’t just here because they felt like doing something, they’re here to swim and they’re here to win.”

As the lone senior on the team, Emily Kate Martin has an important leadership role this season as the Vikings welcome eight newcomers. Martin remembers what it was like being a freshman and relying on older teammates for guidance. Now, she has the opportunity to provide the same support to younger swimmers.

“I have had a lot of girls on the team that have poured into me throughout the years and been mentors to me,” Martin said. “I’m really excited to now be in that spot where I can give back to others and be there for the younger girls on the team and build relationships with them.”

When it comes to individual goals the biggest goal for Martin is to enjoy this last season with her teammates.

“Honestly I just really want to have a fun, joyful season and enjoy my last time in a team environment,” Martin said. “I would obviously love to swim fast too, but I really just want to have fun.”

Despite having a young roster, Healy sees confidence as one of the team’s biggest strengths heading into the season. With the majority of the team being underclassmen, the returning swimmers have helped the newcomers adjust to the team’s expectations and understand how things are done at Berry.

“I’d say our confidence is definitely a big-time strength,” Healy said. “The sophomores and then our two upperclassmen have done a really good job of communicating it to them and showing them what it is and how we do it. The freshmen just snap right into it.”

After having smaller teams in the past Martin is excited to compete with her new teammates and is eager to see how a bigger team can help them competitively.

“It’s exciting that our team is starting to grow and that makes us more competitive in the conference,” Martin said. “I’m excited to see what that looks like this year.”

With a young roster, the women’s swim team is hoping to find success this season as they have found a new sense of energy and leadership. The Vikings continue to build on the progress from previous seasons and Healy thinks the team is already a step into the right direction with the new freshmen.

“They’ve been a fresh breath of energy into the program,” Healy said.