On Oct. 15, the Girls’ Varsity Swim and Dive Team hosted its annual Senior Meet against Ursuline. As the season comes to an end, the team celebrated 10 seniors who have led the way in and out of the pool.
Underclassmen made posters and prepared heartfelt speeches for their designated senior, and the pool was decked out with streamers, balloons and posters. The decorations commemorated the seniors’ lives in and out of the pool with photos from different stages of their lives.
The night was more intimate than in past years. Instead of being held at the pool, Senior Night was moved to the B1 cafeteria. The relocation allowed the girls not only to celebrate their seniors but to celebrate each other.
Parents volunteered to make the night extra special for the entire team. After their fast swims and excellent dives against a talented Ursuline team, the girls, their families and their friends gathered to eat pizza and cake. Seniors were gifted flowers and balloons as usual, but they also received framed photos, a water bottle labeled “White Plains Swim and Dive 2026,” candy made by one of the moms and special tassels to wear at graduation.
Senior Captain Ryleigh Baumann is the only senior who is also a diver. Following her final dive, as the officials posted their scores, everyone in the stands held up index cards with 10s on them.
“I was so surprised! It was so funny. It felt amazing to have the love and support from our Tiger fans,” Baumann said.
Another senior, Kayla Arscott, a talented artist, painted posters that read “Swim Fast” and “Just Keep Swimming” to encourage her teammates to swim their hardest in their final high school races.
Senior Captain Kelly Constantino said she’s “very happy that [she] got to go through this journey with these girls.” Constantino made varsity as an eighth grader and is marking her fifth and final year on the team.
It was a fantastic send-off for the seniors and a perfect way to close the chapter on their high school swimming careers while looking forward to what’s ahead. Until next season!
A Note from the Author
It feels crazy that after watching three groups of seniors leave the team, it’s now my turn. I am extremely grateful for my time on the team — it’s where I made my first friends in high school and looked up to the seniors who came before me. I hope I played the role of captain well enough to set an example for those who come after me.
Girls’ Varsity Swim Seniors.
