Just Keep Swimming

Alexa Matoushek’s early season going far from swimmingly

Maddy Geisler, Design Editor-In-Chief|December 20, 2022

Alexa Matoushek (10) dives into the pool during half time. “My hope is that each swimmer is able to achieve the goal they stated by improving their practice habits and thus improving their times,” coach Liska Hromnak said. Matoushek hopes the team gets some state consideration times and for the team to improve their relays.

The girls swim and dive season may have just started, but that doesn’t mean the team hasn’t already started facing some hiccups.

“I went snowboarding for the first time with a couple of friends and we decided that we were gonna not stay on lessons and just go out and try it,” Alexa Matoushek (10) said. “And I went down and I fell back and it was all ice and I fractured my wrists.”

Matoushek had been stuck wearing braces on both wrists for the beginning of the OHS girls swim and dive team’s season, but she still made the effort to show up for her teammates.

“I was still there and I still timed for people and everything and made sure that everything ran smoothly,” Matoushek said.

In addition to Matoushek, many of the girls have kept morale up from the sidelines.

“The girls cheer each other on and support everyone as they swim,” coach Liska Hromanak said, “whether it’s practice or meets.”

Despite the benevolence among the team, things still aren’t going quite as smoothly as they should with Matoushek being the only diver.

“It [being the only diver] just means that we don’t get as many points in meets because we have to give them all up to teams that have divers,” Matoushek said. “It’s been hard to win meets without divers.”

Even with the injuries, Matoushek has been pushing to keep up with the team.

“I’ve just overcome it by doing the best that I can to fill in for what I’ve lost,” Matoushek said. “Trying to stay in shape, trying to keep working out, but just in ways that I can.”

Luckily, Matoushek now has her braces off and is ready to dive right back into the swing of things.

“Alexa being out has affected the first few meets (as a diver and a swimmer),” Hromanak said, “but she is back now and ready to start up again.”

Through all the trying times already this season, the swim team has continued working to achieve their goals for the year and encourage their teammates to do the same.

“The team this year is supportive of each other and cheering each other on—more than the past few years,” Hromanak said. “Additionally, I am proud that other coaches continue to recognize the OHS girls team as always polite and good to have in their facilities.”