You look up, and all of the bleachers are filled with screaming fans. You look down and notice the calm waters of the pool. You look to your side and see your teammate that you will be swimming on a relay with, when suddenly, you realize that this will be your very last swim with them.

I have swum for almost my entire life and have made many friends along the way. Little did I know that this one moment in time would “hit me like a ton of bricks” and change the way I think about swimming.

Just a few weeks ago, I attended the state swim meet in Marshalltown, Iowa, along with the rest of the state team. At the Districts swim meet the week before, we had swum faster than ever before and qualified three relays for state: the 200 yard medley relay, the 200 yard freestyle relay, and the 400 yard freestyle relay. We were excited to say the least.

The state team included me, Sean Kalb,  Katie Anderson, Lauren Cody, Olivia Thomas, Adrianna Schroeder, Kameryn Bounds, and Annie Hermann. This is the greatest weekend of the swimming season because not only is it a time to show of all of our hard work in the pool, but it is a time of team bonding.

Going into the weekend, I wasn’t even thinking about my last swim with the seniors. In fact, I felt as though this was just another swim meet with my best friends.

Each year, the state team takes part in a prayer service before we depart for our weekend in Marshalltown. After the prayer service, we exchange gifts with each other so that we can all remember the weekend. After this, we snap a few pictures and load into the Wahlert suburbans, Marshalltown bound. Once in Marshalltown, we snap a few more pictures, and head to the pool to watch the diving portion of the state meet.

After diving, we return to the hotel and relax because we need to save our energy for the big day ahead. After visualizing our races and shaving our legs one last time, we all headed headed to bed, dreaming of the outstanding swims that would take place the next day.

We wake up, eat breakfast, and head to the pool. Our first swim of the day is the 200 yard medley relay. We were seeded 18th place and we end up 15th. It’s a great way to start the meet!

Next up is the 200 yard freestyle relay. We were seeded 18th and end up 19th, finishing with the exact same time that we got at districts. The only swim of the meet left was the 400 freestyle relay.

The order of the relay was as follows: Sean, Me, Katie, and finally Lauren. This would be my last swim with these seniors, forever. Walking up to the starting block, we held hands. Before the official blew his whistle for the start of our last race together, we did our traditional cheer, one last time.

During my time in the water for this relay, all I could think about was the three girls at the end of my lane, cheering me on. All of my swimming career I looked up to them, and now they would be gone. I gave it my all and swam as fast as I could for them.

Katie swam, and Lauren followed. The race was finished, we looked up at the clock, and noticed that our time was slower than the weekend before. But it didn’t matter. Lauren got out of the water, we came together, gave each other hugs, and cried.

From this moment, I learned a very important lesson that I had taken for granted. My closest friends have been there for me through my entire swimming career thus far. Whenever I was upset about a race, they would cheer me up. Whenever I was struggling in practice, they would motivate me. And now, it’s time for me to do the same with them.

I wish the best of luck to this year’s senior class in any future endeavors they may undertake. To the swim girls, I want to thank you for all of the great memories that we have shared over the years. The whole team, and especially me, will miss you. Thank you for showing us what you are made of, and now it’s time to show the world. Good luck in college, and know that I will always be thinking about our last swim together.